Origin and history of the Ha Nhi ethnic group

The Ha Nhi people have a history of migrating to Vietnam about 300 years ago, currently residing mainly in the northern mountainous provinces of Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lao Cai. Let's go togetheriguide.aiFind out information about the Ha Nhi ethnic group, Vietnam!

1. Historical origin

- The Ha Nhi people's migration process took place over a long period of time, by different routes and to many countries, including Vietnam. The Ha Nhi people migrated to Vietnam about 300 years ago.

- Ha Nhi ethnic groups: Based on the area of ​​residence, they can be divided into 3 groups: Ha Nhi Co Cho people (Ha Nhi people living in the lowlands), Ha Nhi La Mi people (living in the highlands) and Ha Nhi people (living in the highlands). Nhi Den (Ha Nhi Lo Me people). Based on costumes, language and characteristics of residence, they are divided into two groups: Ha Nhi Den and Ha Nhi Hoa (including Ha Nhi Co Cho and Ha Nhi La Mi groups).
About ethnic name: The Ha Nhi people call themselves Ha Nhi Gia.

2. Population:According to the results of a survey collecting information on the socio-economic status of 54 ethnic minorities in 2019 by the Vietnam Committee for Ethnic Minorities - General Statistics Office, the Ha Nhi population as of April 1, 2019 2019 is 25,539 people, including 12,895 men and 12,644 women.

3. Language:Belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family, (Sino-Tibetan language family), closer to Burma.

4. Geographical distribution:The Ha Nhi Hoa people mainly reside in the districts of Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces; The Black Ha Nhi people reside mainly in communes in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, and a part reside in Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces.

5. Main characteristics

- Housing: Most residents live in earthen houses, solid construction, up to 30-40cm thick, suitable for cold climates in high mountains. The house's walls are 3-4m high, the roof is steep and short, the house has no porch, and only one door. Inside the house there is another layer of wall for defense, to prevent cold, frost and clouds from entering the house, called the inner porch. This is also the place to drink water and receive guests of the homeowner. The houses of the Ha Nhi people in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province are often arranged as follows: two gables are divided into two rooms for the head and wife of the family and children or son and wife. About 1/3 of the width of the two naves is land, the rest is built into the floor. In the land there is a stove for cooking and storage of dishes. The floor is where the ancestral altar, the bedrooms of unmarried children and guests are located. The stove is placed above the floor

- Family structure: Patriarchy.

- Traditional costumes: Men's shirts are made of self-woven fabric, dyed indigo or black. Lame-legged pants, large waistband, hem with hem, length suitable for the wearer's height. Women in the two Ha Nhi groups dress differently. Black Ha Nhi women mainly wear indigo colored shirts and scarves, without decoration or embroidery, short shirts reaching the knees, large hems and slightly protruding in the middle, buttoned on the right armpit and only decorated with appliqués. coins and silver buttons. Only married women wear scarves. Ha Nhi Hoa women's shirts are sewn in two layers, reaching to the ankles, the sleeves are decorated with patterns and the heads are covered with colorful scarves.

- Cuisine: The daily meal of the Ha Nhi people usually only has one stir-fried or braised dish and one boiled vegetable soup, especially the boiled dishes of the Ha Nhi people never add salt or spices. The Ha Nhi people also have colored sticky rice and some cakes made from sticky rice.
Regarding drinks, Ha Nhi people like to drink the juice of some plants that have a sweet taste, have blood tonic and diuretic effects, along with tea or wine.

- Tet holiday: Ha Nhi people celebrate New Year at the beginning of the 10th lunar month. During the year there is also the New Rice Festival, the fifth day of the fifth month, and the full moon day of the seventh month

- Belief: Ha Nhi people always believe in "all things are spiritual" - everything has a soul and is always represented by a god. Therefore, on certain days of the year, Ha Nhi people often organize traditional worship rituals to pray for gods to protect and bless people with peace, health, and good harvests.

“Ga tu tu” is the first ritual to worship the gods at the beginning of each new year. This is a ritual of stringing up roads, prohibiting strangers from entering, and preventing bad ghosts from harming the villagers. It is usually held on the first Tiger day of January.

Ceremony to worship the water god: worship at the sacred water source "Lu kho sú" so that the water never stops flowing. In the afternoon right after the water god worship ceremony, the Ha Nhi people will hold the "Ga ma gio" worship ceremony, one of the biggest and important rituals for them.

In March every year, Ha Nhi people hold a ceremony to worship the forest god "Mu thu gio", praying for good crops, livestock growth, and a large number of descendants in the village.

Festival of worshiping the "Dry, old and old" season: one of the biggest and most unique rituals of the year of the Ha Nhi people, to pray for gods to protect crops, to give good rain and wind for trees to grow, and for the seasons to grow. bumper crop.
In addition, every year the Ha Nhi people also worship the Tho Ty god and the sacred tree, protecting a peaceful life for the people.

- Economic conditions: Cultivating terraced fields and upland fields, raising livestock, exploiting natural resources, doing some handicrafts such as weaving, growing cotton and weaving...

According to "Basic characteristics of 54 ethnic minorities in 2019" by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and the General Statistics Office, Poverty household rate: 44.8%; Rate of near-poor households: 14.9%; Unemployment rate: 3.03%; Percentage of trained workers with degrees and certificates: 11.3%; Proportion of workers working in the non-agricultural sector: 12.7%; Proportion of employees working in management or technical expertise at high and middle levels: 4.6%.

- Educational conditions: According to "Basic characteristics of 54 ethnic minorities in 2019" conducted by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and the General Statistics Office, the rate of people aged 15 and older who can read and write common : 60.7%; Percentage of people attending primary school: 101.2%; Percentage of people attending middle school: 91.7%; Percentage of people attending high school together: 58.8%; Rate of out-of-school children: 14.7%.

Above is some interesting information about the Ha Nhi ethnic group, Vietnam, let's joiniguide.aiPlan to explore, meet and experience culture with Ha Nhi people in the near future!

Source:
- Ethnic groups in Vietnam (Truth National Political Publishing House)
- Basic characteristics of 54 ethnic minorities in 2019 (Committee for Ethnic Minorities and General Statistics Office)
- Website of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Website of Nhan Dan Newspaper
- Results of the survey collecting information on the socio-economic status of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam)