|
Name of Ethnic Group: Bo Y (Chung Cha, Trong
Gia, Tu Di, Tu Din and Pu Na).
Population:
About 1,500 people.
Locality:
The provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang.
Customs
and Habits: Ancestor worship is the basis of Bo Y religion. The Bo Y live in
houses built on the ground. There is always an extra room in this type of house
constructed of wooden boards that rest on the main beams of the house. These rooms serve
as the bedroom for unmarried boys and as a granary. The wedding ceremony of the Bo Y is a
complicated and expensive endeavor. A unique characteristic of this wedding ceremony is
that the groom does not attend the ceremony. Instead, he sends his younger sister to the
bride's family to lead a pink horse during the wedding. When the parents die, the children
must practice strict mourning rites, 90 days to mourn their mother and 120 days to mourn
their father.
Culture:
The Bo Y language belongs to the Tay-Thai Group.
Costumes:
Women wear a full skirt, a five-paneled shirt and a bra. Some of the women have
adopted the Nung or Han way of dressing.
Economy:
The Bo Y practice slash-and-burn agriculture. Every year, when the rainy
season arrives, the Bo Y go to the rivers to catch spawn and fish to put
in their ponds and submerged fields. |
