Learn about the characteristics of the San Diu ethnic group

The San Diu people are one of 53 ethnic minorities in our country, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language group, living concentrated in the Northern midland, in the area from the left bank of the Red River to the east. Let's go togetheriguide.aiFind out information about the San Diu ethnic group, Vietnam!

1. Historical origin

Regarding ethnic origin, based on the self-proclaimed name Son Dao, many thoughts can be suggested about the origin of the San Diu ethnic group. Researcher Ma Khanh Bang speculates that the San Diu people originate from the Dao people. Since ancient times, the Dao ethnic community was dominated and oppressed by the Chinese feudal state, causing this group of people to wander around to make a living and develop. The San Diu people are one of those groups.

2. Population, language

- Population: According to data from the Survey of 53 ethnic minorities on April 1, 2019, the total population of San Diu people nationwide is 183,004, of which, there are 94,743 men, 88,261 women; The number of households includes 54,901 households; The proportion of the population living in rural areas accounts for 89.8%.

- Language: The San Diu people are one of 53 ethnic minorities in our country belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language group. Due to living for a long time alongside the southern Han people, they gradually lost their mother tongue (Dao) and adopted the Guangdong Chinese dialect.
In the past, young people often learned Chinese characters to become shamans, but now very few people know Chinese characters.

3. Geographical distribution:San Diu people reside concentrated in provinces and cities: Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Tuyen Quang, Hai Duong... They reside in separate clusters and hamlets or intermingle with Chinese and Kinh people. , Tay and Nung people in the locality.

4. Main characteristics

-Cuisine: San Diu people eat plain rice, stuffed with cassava. After a meal, they often drink a bowl of thin porridge like the Nung people.

- Costume: Women's traditional clothing includes a black scarf, ao dai (single or double), if it is a double shirt, the inside is also white, the outside is indigo a bit longer; red bib; white, pink or blue belt; The skirt is two separate pieces that share the same waistband, just above the knee in indigo color; indigo leggings; white leggings. Decorations include necklaces, bracelets, earrings and silver chains. Men dress like Vietnamese people: buns with scarves or turbans, dark ao dai, white pants.

- Habitat: Live mainly in the Northern midland, in the area from the left bank of the Red River to the east.

- Wedding: The wedding custom of the Phu La people includes many rituals. The flower opening ceremony takes place at the bride's house, before the bride returns to her husband's house. The person took out a bottle of wine and a plate, on the plate lined two pieces of paper cut flowers, the white piece on the bottom, the red piece on top, placed on the plate two boiled eggs with red thread and tied two coins on each side of the egg. coin. After worshiping, peel the eggs and mix the yolk with wine for everyone to drink to celebrate the happiness of the bride and groom.

- Worship: On the altar, three incense bowls are often placed to worship ancestors, shamans, and gods. If the homeowner has not been granted a certificate, there will only be two bowls of incense. People who have just died and have not yet become ghosts also place incense bowls on the altar but lower. In addition, the San Diu people also worship the earth god at the temple of the tutelary god in the communal house.

- Holidays and Tet: There are Tet days like many ethnic groups in the region. Particularly, the Winter Solstice Festival also carries the additional meaning of praying for many children and grandchildren. For those who have been married for a long time but still do not have children, after Tet, the wife returns to her parents' house, the husband sends a matchmaker to ask questions and then organizes the wedding again as if he were marrying a new wife.

- Calendar: San Diu people follow the lunar calendar.

- Music and dance: Singing for love between men and women, called soong co (singing at night).

5. Economic conditions

- Cultivation: The San Diu people live on low hills in the midland that are gentle and shaped like an upside-down bowl. Climatic and hydrological factors are not really favorable for crop development. However, like other ethnic groups residing in the northeastern region of Vietnam, the San Diu people still survive thanks to rice seeds, potatoes, corn, cassava roots... The people cultivate 4 types of fields: muddy fields. , wet fields, terraced fields, dry fields (hills, sois, yards).

- Livestock: The San Diu people pay attention to animal husbandry not only for traction and meat but also for manure to improve the fields. Popular poultry are chickens, ducks, geese and swans; Pig farming receives a lot of attention because of its food source from secondary crops.
In places near forests or hills, people develop beekeeping for honey. Silkworms are also raised by some people, but it is one of the economic activities that receives little attention.

- Exploitation of forest and land products and hunting: In the area of ​​residence of the San Diu people, there are many essential sources of forest and land products such as: wood, bamboo, leaves, and tubers (brown tubers, sesban tubers, and yam tubers). ), wild vegetables (beef vegetables, air vegetables, gai herbs, bitter herbs), medicinal plants, firewood... are favorable conditions for the San Diu people to exploit to serve their daily needs. For the San Diu people in Tuyen Quang, collecting plants to decorate the house has become popular, especially orchids and cymbidiums. In addition, they also bring economic value to people.
Besides exploiting forest products, the San Diu people also hunt wild animals.

- Crafts: In addition to the main occupation of agriculture, San Diu people also do a number of secondary occupations such as: knitting, spinning, weaving, pottery, carpentry, blacksmithing...
In the past, the San Diu people also had the profession of using do paper, binding it into books, writing with brush pens and Chinese ink, to record genealogy, literature, calendars, fairy tales, poetry...

Above is some interesting information about the San Diu ethnic group, Vietnam, let's joiniguide.aiPlan to explore, meet and experience culture with the San Diu 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)