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About the Tu Di group in Muong Khuong district, Lao Cai province: The Tu Di group, part of the Bo Y ethnic minority, originated in Do Van Chau province, China and migrated to Vietnam about 200 years ago. Their principal language is Quan Hoa. The article describes in some detail the history, socio-economic life and culture of the Tu Di, with particular emphasis on the cultivation of terraced rice fields. Costumes are used to clarify elements of traditional culture such as marriage, funerals and communication with the Han culture.
Awareness of citizens of the situation and solution to environmental, educational and gender issues (research at Than Sa commune, Vo Nhai district, Thai Nguyen province): An important target in the sustainable development strategy in the ethnic minority areas is improving citizens' awareness on their own issues and solutions to those issues. The article introduces an approach to this through a survey in Than Sa commune, Vo Nhai district, Thai Nguyen province and shows a variety of citizens' ways of becoming aware, suggesting solutions, and imagining the results of those solutions to environmental, educational and gender equality issues.
Dwelling house of the Lo Lo in Ha Giang province: In Vietnam, the Lo Lo people live mainly in two provinces: Ha Giang and Cao Bang (Black Lo Lo). To date, the Lo Lo have been able to preserve their ethnic cultural features in their homes, costumes, food and family rituals. When building a new house, the Lo Lo have rituals of inspecting the land, selecting a propitious day, finding home building materials, building the house and entering the new house. The Lo Lo custom is to help other member to build their new houses. There are two kinds of houses: normal houses and those built on stilts, but the arrangement of living quarters is the same in each type.
Features of traditional festivals of Tay and Nung ethnic minorities in Viet Bac: The article describes traditional festivals celebrated by the Tay and Nung ethnic minorities residing in Viet Bac. These festivals relate to agriculture (long tong, nang hai, rain prayers, and worship of seasonal and forest deities); religion (commune and pagoda festivals); martial themes (tiger fighting); and love (sli and luon song). A coording to the author, these festivals, which are democratic and thus open to all members of the community, deal with the group's fundamental religious activities, such as thriving, praying for rain and worship of the sun and moon.
Past and present houses of ethnic minorities in the Central region: The author analyses the changes in the houses of ethnic minorities in the Central region together with the changes in socio-economic life since those tribes have resettled. The less durable houses on stilts were suitable to nomadic life, when rice was cultivated in terraced fields. These have been supplanted by more durable brick houses when the family settled down and used water rice cultivation. The process is not the same in all cases, varying with the socio-economic conditions of each community and even with family. This should be taken into account when attempting to improve and stabilize the lives of the ethnic minorities in the Central region.
Prof. Tran Quoc Vuong: The relationship with anthropology: On August 8, 2005, Prof. Tran Quoc Vuong who is very famous in Archeology and History was died in Hanoi, Vietnam. The author gave some comments about his activities in social sciences. The author also pointed out that, some researches of Prof. Tran Quoc Vuong was based on anthropological approaches.
Rong house-Guol house-Lessons on cultural communication: This article expresses the combination of "traditional" and "modern", and "inside" and "outside", in the cultural development among ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands region. The author analyzes and draws out a lesson on cultural communication through the spontaneous building of a "communal house" in some areas and in organizing activities not suitable to the community's traditions. This shows the importance of the community's participation in cultural development in ethnic areas in general and particularly in the Truong Son-Tay Nguyen area.
Some handicraft issues concerning the Ha Nhi famulies: The Ha Nhi people are mainly found in Muong Te, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province and Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province. Their tradition of water rice cultivation makes their economic life better and more adaptable than many of the other ethnic minorities in the region. However, their handicrafts, which have remained underdeveloped, do not differ appreciably from those of the Tang Mien linguistic group. These include knitting, garment textiles, carpentry and forging, with only knitting developed with many products. The current Ha Nhi handicrafts bear the influence of the Viet people's techniques.