Name of
Ethnic Group: Lo Lo (Mun Di, 0
Man, and Lac To).
Population:
More than 3,000 people.
Locality:
Dong Van and Meo Vac Districts of Ha Giang Province, Bao Lac District of Cao Bang Province
and Muong Khuong District of Lao Cai Province.
Customs
and Habits: The Lo Lo mainly worship their ancestors. Their villages are located
on mountain slopes close to sources of water. They live in grouped villages, each village
having 20 to 25 houses. These houses are built either on stilts, half on stilts and half
on the ground, or level with the ground.
People
of the same lineage live in the same village. The leader of the lineage is called the
"Thau Chu". This leader is responsible for ritual ceremonies and the
preservation of the customs of that lineage.The Lo Lo practice monogamy and the wife comes
to live in her husband's house after marriage.
The
Lo Lo use bronze drums for special occasions, but bury these drums in the earth for
maintenance, and unearth them only for usage. The head of each family lineage is the
keeper of the bronze drums. These drums are only used at funerals or to keep time during
dances.
Culture:
The Lo Lo language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman Group. Their written language used
pictographic scripts which are no longer in use. The calendar of the Lo Lo divides the
year into 11 months, each corresponding to the name of an animal.
The
folklore culture of the Lo Lo is diverse. It is expressed particularly well in dances,
songs, and old tales. The Lo Lo people have a high level of education, as many are
university graduates or they have finished secondary education.
Costumes:
The Lo Lo Hoa women often wear a lowneck vest and a pair of trousers underneath a short
skirt. Lo Lo Den men wear pajama-style trousers and a squarenecked vest pulled over their
heads. Colourful designs are incorporated into their turbans, vests, skirts, and trousers.
Economy:
The Lo Lo depend mainly on maize and rice as forms of income generation.
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