The Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi has a permanent pavilion dedicated to the Thai ethnic group. Ms. Nguyet, a museum employee, Said: “The Thai and the Tay ethnic groups are the most populous. There are two Thai groups, white Thai and black Thai, who are differentiated by their other costumes and houses. Traditionally, the black Thai wear a black blouse with a high collar and a black skirt, while the white Thai wear a white blouse with a heart-shaped collar and a black skirt”.

In each locality, the Thai group is divided into many branches, according to Luong Van Thiet, who also works at the Museum of Ethnology:“In Nghe An, the black Thai group is divided into 2 different subgroups: Man Thanh and Tây Mười. The white Thai are also called Tay Mường or Tay Do. “Do” in the Thai language means people who reside permanently in one place. The Thai group in Tây Thanh has another name: Tay Nhại. “Nhại” means people who always move”.

Thiet said the black Thai and white Thai live together. He points out their different features: “In the northwestern region, the white Thai usually wear bright-colored costumes, such as white and pink. Their blouse has short sleeves and a heart-shaped collar. The black Thai prefer dark colors such as black and brown. Their accents are also different. The black Thai have a stronger accent, while the white Thai speak faster and more melodiously. Their perceptions of numbers are different. The white Thai prefer even numbers which they believe represent fullness and prosperity. The black Thai prefer odd numbers, which they believe symbolize growth and reproduction”.

With regard to the spiritual world, the Thai are polytheists who worship their ancestors. As their life is tied to agricultural production, they observe the ritual of taking water on New Year’s Eve, the festival to welcome the first thunderstorm of the New Year, and other crop-related rituals. The Thai people think death is the continuation of life in another world.

The Thai people have many last names and each clan has its own taboo. The Lò clan does not eat birds and according to the Quàng clan, a tiger brings bad luck. Ethnology researcher Thiet highlights differences in the worshipping rituals of the white Thai and black Thai: “The black Thai are traditionally nomadic people who frequently change their farmland. As a result of an unstable life, they worship and pray more. The white Thai are engaged in wet rice cultivation with higher productivity and worship less, with less yin and yang displayed in their homes”.

Living mainly on rice farming, the Thai have a lot of experience in irrigating terraced rice fields, which has been passed down from one generation to another.  
 

Language of Thai People

Because Thai people belong to the Tay – Thai group, the Thai people speak the language of the Tai-Kadai language family. Thai ethnic people also have their own Sanskrit-style writing system, widely used in many written works on history, traditions, customary laws, and literature. The language of the Thai people is taught orally.

The Lifestyle of Thai People

They live in wooden stilt houses, cultivate sticky rice and other crops, and breed cattle and poultry. The Black Thai build their tortoise carapace – shaped house called “tup cong” in the Thai language. Each stilt house is decorated by the “khau cut” at each ridge including two wood sticks connected to be an X-shape and fixed on both ends of the roof.

Costume of Thai People

Cotton and dye plants are used to weave clothes. The most famous product of the Thai ethnic group is brocade fabric. It is designed with unique patterns, beautiful colors, and good material. The Thai women wear a close-fitting blouse, a black long skirt, a brocade headscarf called “Khan pieu” and a green belt. The Black Thai women wear a high collared, black blouse while the White Thai women wear a heart-shaped, white blouse. They wear silver necklaces and bracelets, silver or gold earrings. The Thai men dressed in blue or black indigo or brocade shirts, long trousers with a belt but they recently wear the King’s clothing style.

The Unique Cultures & Customs of Thai People

The Thai have a big treasure of legends, myths, and poems. The Thai love to sing in particular “khap tay” – a kind of expressively reading poems or singing based on the poems with dances and musical instruments. Some folk dances are Xoe, Sap, and Quạt. Han Khuong and Nem are two special folk games at the festival. Some traditional foods any visitors should not miss whilst discover the Thai’s culture and life are Xoi Nep, Com Lam, grilled fish, Nam pia, and Mong-pe wine.

The Thai people worship their ancestor and natural Gods because their life depends on agricultural cultivation. They have customs of taking water on the Eve of the New Year and festivals to pray for a rich harvest. They also pay a lot of attention to the funeral. Their concept of death is that their soul still continues to “live” on another side so the funeral aims to see them off to the “muong troi”. In marriage, a husband has to stay in his wife’s family until they have a child that they can leave to the man’s home. There are different customs in each Thai family, for example, in Lo family, they do not eat Tang Lo birds, or Quang family avoids everything involving the tiger.

Festivals of Thai People

The Thai people celebrate the New Year or called Tet holiday according to the Vietnamese lunar calendar, and the Black Thai people worship their ancestor on the 7th and 8th month of the calendar. Besides, villagers also worship the gods of the land, mountain, water, and the soul of the central post of the village.

Frequently Questions Are Being Asked About Mai Châu

1. Which Experiences Are Best For Tours In Mai Châu?

These experiences are best for tours in Mai Châu:
THE BEST OF MAI CHAU TOUR (2DAYS/1NIGHT)
MAI CHAU-PU LUONG CYCLING AND TREKKING (3DAYS/2NIGHTS)

2. What Are The Best Places Plus With Tours In Mai Châu?

3. Which Place Is Must See In Mai Châu?
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