The Largest Ethnic Groups in Vietnam

Kinh

Among Vietnam ethnic community, Kinh ethnic group keep an important role in national development which accounts for 86.2% of the Vietnam population. Kinh people allocate along whole Vietnam and some other countries, yet the majority is in deltas and urban areas throughout the country. The main language belongs to Viet – Muong language group. Rice cultivation in submerged fields is the main economic activity of Kinh people. Wet rice civilization was born for thousands of generations and reached a certain level. Compared to other ethnic groups, the Kinh people’s farming reached a higher level of productivity.
The Kinh people’s culture is rich in proverbs, folk tales, songs and dances that help preserve their traditions. The literature is written in many forms such as poems, writings, books, and edicts. Besides physical values, the Kinh in particular and Vietnam people in general also show their precious values on spirituality such as ancestor worship, death anniversaries and unique festivals. Besides, there is an appearance of popular religions such as Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, and Caodaism.

Tay

With the number of around 1.7 million people, the Tay people make up close to 2% of Vietnam’s population which are the second-largest ethnic group in the nation. Tay ethnic minority group settles mainly on fertile plains where they cultivate rice and keep cattle and poultry as well. Rice is a staple food for the Tay people.
Tay families have a close-knit bond. They respect their ancestors so much that the altar is always put in the most solemn and honorable place of the house. Another interesting fact is that a couple rarely divorces which also reinforces the Tay’s strong sense of family ties.
The Tay has developed a rich culture of poetry, songs, epics, tales, funny stories, and dances performed at festivities and when they have visitors. “Dan Tinh” musical instrument – a soul of the folk songs and a folk dance is used in every cultural and spiritual life of Tay people.

Thai

Residents of Thai ethnic minorities account for approximately 1.8% of the Vietnamese population which is ranked the third largest ethnic group in the country. Thai people originated from South East Asia where their ancestors still live to date. They cultivate rice, corn, and other subsistence crops so their staple food is rice.
Thai ethnic minority is well-known for its beautiful woven garments, accessories and typical houses on stilts. These houses are designed to protect the residents from the possible flooding as well as dangerous animals. They also provide shelter for their animals. Women retain their habits in dressing while men received the dress in style of Viet inhabitants (not yet everywhere).

Muong

The Muong people constitute 1.5% of the total population in the country which ranked 4th among the largest ethnic in Vietnam. The Muong people inhabit the mountainous region of northern Vietnam, concentrated in Hoa Binh Province and the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa Province. Muong people share ethnic roots with Vietnamese and their language is classified according to the Vietnamese – Muong language branch. The Muong live in mountainous areas that have abundant land to grow wet rice.
The Muong have diverse folk arts including folk songs and poems, the sorcerer’s worshipping songs, tales, proverbs, lullabies, and riddle songs. The most popular musical instrument is “Gong” used in cultural events of Muong people. Another noteworthy thing about Muong ethnicity is they have their calendar based on neither the Sun nor the Moon. Their calendar is made from bamboo and has twelve months as well.

Khmer

The Khmer ethnic minority group has a population of about one million residing in the Mekong Dental concentrated in the southeastern provinces such as Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, An Giang, Kien Giang. Khmer people traditionally practice wet rice cultivation. They have a long tradition of selecting rice strains, building irrigation networks, and using tidal waters to enrich arable soils.
The Khmer mainly follow Buddhism and also worship their ancestors. Some outstanding agricultural rituals are “Worshipping the god of the fields” (Neak Ta Xie), “Calling the rice spirits” (Ok Ang Leok) and “The Moon” (Ok Ang Bok). A Khmer pagoda is a meeting place for cultural functions. Before their coming of age, young Khmer people are sent to pagodas to brush up on their knowledge and morality.
The Khmer has a treasure of folklore literature, including myths, legends, fairy tales, fables, and funny stories. The most interesting feature of the Khmer culture is the traditional theatre of Du Ke and Di Ke, which have musical influences from India and wider Southeast Asia.

Other Minorities in Vietnam

Among ethnic minorities, the most populated groups are Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, Nung, etc with a population of around 1 million each, while the least populated is Brau, Roman, Odu with several hundred people each. Kinh people succeeded in establishing a centralized monarchy right in the 10th century. The Cham once boasted a flourishing culture early in history. The Tay, Nung, and Khmer peoples had reached high levels of development with the presence of various social strata. The Muong, H’ mong, Dao, Thai, etc gathered under the rule of local tribal heads. Many ethnic groups divided their population into social echelons, especially those living in mountainous areas.

As a multi-cultural country, Vietnam has an ethnically diverse population with friendliness and hospitality are two characters that can be found everywhere in this country. Check our Vietnam Local Guide to learn more about the character of Vietnamese people, Vietnamese religions and also some other interesting facts.

Vietnamese People – Hospitable & Friendly

If you have just landed in Vietnam and suddenly start a conversation with local people, it can be a challenge. The Vietnamese people are kind of timid, especially women since they are often taught to be cautious of strangers. Besides, the lack of confidence in their language skills is also a barrier to their communication with foreigners. But don’t worry even if you don’t know Vietnamese. Get yourself an affectionate tour guide then make a smile and actively talk to them, and surprisingly they will quickly turn into lovely hosts. Vietnamese people are actually very friendly and sociable with others. Your happiness is also their happiness.

You can try to learn some Vietnamese words to communicate with them as well. Such simple but warm-hearted lines like “Xin chào” (Hello), “Tôi yêu Việt Nam” (I love Vietnam), etc will show them your passion and gain their enormous admirable in return.

Vietnamese People – Hard-Working

The Vietnamese people, especially Vietnamese women, often start their day at an extremely early hour and finish it late. Imagine that if you wake up at 2 a.m when it is dark outside, you may still see the image of some street vendors who carry loads of bread wandering around the street to sell food for night owls. Besides, this good characteristic is frequently expressed in Vietnamese proverbs or sayings, such as “Có công mài sắt có ngày nên kim” (Hard work pays off) or “Tay làm hàm nhai, tay quai miệng trễ” (No bees, no honey, no work, no money).

Vietnamese People – Family-Oriented

Having strong family ties is another wonderful personality of Vietnamese people, which means they are passionately devoted to their family. Each holiday or festival, such as New Year’s Eve or Mid-Autumn Festival, is a perfect time for family members to get together and be more close-knitted. Whenever they feel exhausted and tired, the best motivation to carry on is their sweet home where all family members always stand by their side no matter what happens.

Vietnamese People – High Sense of National Pride

It is undeniable that the nationalism of the Vietnamese people is extremely high. Have you ever seen a little boy consistently volunteering to become a soldier in the bloody war to protect the national border although he knows for sure that “death keeps no calendar”? Nowadays, this spirit even grows stronger. Let’s take the conflict over the East Sea between Vietnam and China in 2011 for example. It was reported that it was discussed in every corner of Vietnam, and every single Vietnamese was willing to protect this national sea border. Or simply a final football match can effortlessly take the high sense of national pride to a new level as the Vietnam national football team has recently won the AFF Cup. If you visited Vietnam these days, you might feel way too surprised to see the national flag of Vietnam was all over the whole country.

Vietnamese People – Modest but Vain

The Vietnamese, like any other Asian country, are fairly modest and humble. If you pay a compliment to them, they will refuse the praise or compliment you in return. It is how Vietnamese people maintain harmonious relations with friends and colleagues. However, it must be admitted that Vietnamese people are a little bit showy. They would like to possess expensive stuff, such as a nice car, high-end products, or fashionable clothes, instead of the cheaper ones and will try their best to get that materialism.

The friendliness and hospitality of Vietnamese people are well-known to any visitor that has been here. Take your time and move slower in Vietnam to enjoy fully every routine day and see several new and unexcepted sides of locals. This celestial country will definitely make you feel like your second home.