Ethnic Minority People of Vietnam; a photo essay

V V G

Ethnic Minority People

This essay focuses on the hill tribe ethnic minorities of Vietnam.

Read about hill tribes from Thailand by clicking here.

Called "Montagnards" by the French that carried over to the American-Vietnam war, these hard working people come from among the 54 minority peoples in Vietnam.

They make and use the world's most beautiful baskets in their daily lives. Each basket is both utilitarian and a meticulously, individually, hand-crafted work of art.

The land in which these people live and work is beautiful, but their lives are not always filled with joy. Working with stone age or at best, Medieval, implements, they eke out a bare substance-living in agriculture.

Growing their own food, and selling what they can, each family is lucky to earn as much as VND 5 million income per year. At current (April 2009) rates of exchange, that is a bit less than US$ 285 per year, per family.

In order to preserve the art-form of Ethnic Minority basket weaving, V V G introduced the an ancient European system of manufacturing. We have structured this process with the intention of improving upon the faults of that system as well as to preserve the family and village structure of the tribes people.

Of course, an intended effect will be to materially assist the economic well- being of the community.

A valued benefit is the preservation of this wonderful art form by passing the craft down to younger generations.

The art form of unique design and technique, if it is not preserved and made economically viable, is a mere few years decade away from extinction. Most of the weavers in 1999 were in their 70s and 80s. While there is a market for these products, before we began this project, commercial quantities could not be made.

In early 1999 when V V G's efforts to revive the craft seemed possible, there was an underlying unrest between the minority and dominant peoples. As of this writing (April 2009) that unrest is no longer outright strife but true commercialization is still a few years away.

Not the least of our challenges is that the younger people have not before been inspired to leave the fields to work in this traditional craft. Given the remote and difficult terrain, getting the baskets to the people of the world market is another significant challenge.

We have found ways to meet these challenges. No that the overt local strife subsided when we locate a distributor, we will be able to bring to the market these most complex and beautiful of all the baskets in the world.

With the support from good people such as you, this unique art form will be preserved.

There are no international barriers for these baskets to be made beyond locating an appropriate distributor. Write to us if you have that interest.

Keep checking back to this page to learn when the meter-tall (39") covered baskets will be available in commercial quantities. Each will be made by the gentle, skilled, and hard working Ethnic Minority people of Vietnam in their homes scattered among the high hills of central Vietnam.

Adhering to Fair Labor Practices, a major portion of VVG's proceeds will go to each Master craftsman weaver, who in turn will trains apprentices and journeymen to preserve and continue the craft in their own villages. We expect the each weaver will be able to increase his family income by 3 fold or more in the first full year of production.

Please now enjoy visiting with our friends, the Ethnic Minority People from the Highlands of Vietnam.

If you are interested in a closer look at many different styles of baskets, and/or if you are interested in becoming one of very few exclusive distributors of these fine works of art, please view our accompanying page: Tribal Baskets of Vietnam or write to us.


Kon Tum Province. Coffee, young sugar cane, and young soy beans fill the valley (June 27, 1999).	Lao Cai Province, 10 km from Sapa town, (May 17, 1999)	Sapa town in the Northern Highlands (May 17, 1999)	Lao Cai Province, Northern Highlands (May 17,1999)	Kontum Province, Central Highlands (May 25,1999)

Note: All photos were taken in 1999, although some photos are date-stamped 1993. We neglected to fix the date on our camera!


Kon Tum Province, our "jeep-type" vehicle made it through this muddy pass, only to become stuck a mile further ahead (June 26, 1999).	Traffic along a suspended bridge in Sapa Valley, Lao Cai Province, Northern Highlands (May 17, 1999).	Looking back after crossing the same suspended bridge in Sapa Valley, Lao Cai Province, Northern Highlands (May 17, 1999).	A typical but dry path in a H’mong Village, Lao Cai Province, Northern Highlands (May 17, 1999).	Ba Nah children and home in Chuhreng Commune, Kon Tum City (May 24, 1999).


On stilts, this woven home (walls and roof) is placed high in Kon Tum Province to keep the animals below (June 25, 1999)	Another woven home on stilts. Note the basket carefully tucked away outside the house in the lower right corner (June 25, 1999)	Rong house for cultural activities of Sedang people of Kontum Province, Central Highlands (May 25, 1999)	Inside the Rong house in Kon Tum Province (June 27, 1999)	H’mong girls, 14 years old, Sapa Region, Lao Cai Province, (May 17, 1999)


Boy of the To Dra people carrying his young brother Kon Tum Province (June 27, 1999)	Ba Nah child wearing the "Emperor's New Clothes" Kon Tum City (June 24, 1999)	Ha Lang children of Kon Tum Province (June 25, 1999)	Djoa, a 17 year old youth* of the Ba Nah people, Chuhreng Commune, Kon Tum City. (June 24, 1999)	Ba Nah mother and children. (June 24. 1999)

* May 2009 update. This young man moved to a foreign land to study languages and improve his and his family's opportunities. At 26, he now struggles, not as well educated as he intended, but he remains as friendly, gentle, and generous as he appears here. His first trip back home in more than 10 years is scheduled for later this year.


Inside the home of a Tay family, Yen Bai Province, Northern Highlands (May 14, 1999)	Ha Lang people, Kon Tum Province following our presentation (June 25, 1999)	Inside the Rong house, Kon Tum Province for our presentation. (June27, 1999)	The old weaver and youth of another village in Kon Tum Province (June 27,1999)	At sunset, the children of the Ha Lang people, Kon Tum Province. (June 25, 1999)


Baskets of a Sedang family Kontum Province (May 26, 1999)	Five year old basket of the Sedang is the model for a new basket (May 26, 1999)	Youths, returning from the fields, Kon Tum Province. (June 27, 1999)	Sedang people on the way to their village in Kontum Province (May 26, 1999)	A Sedang woman in Kontum Province (May 26, 1999)

Note: All photos were taken in 1999, although some photos are date-stamped 1993. The staff photographer neglected to fix the date on his camera!


Youth, returning from the field, Kon Tum Province (June 27,1999)	Ten year old Ba Nah girl walking to town, Kon Tum Province (June 24, 1999)	H’mong woman, Lao Cai Province, (May 16, 1999)	La Chi woman using her forehead. Vi Thuong Commune, Ha Giang Province (May 15, 1999)	La Chi woman, Ha Giang Province. Only when there is a light load does she use her shoulder. (May 15, 1999)


A 15 year old Sedang youth Kontum Province. (May 26, 1999).	A 16 year old Sedang youth, Kontum Province (May 26, 1999).	Strips of Lo O plant being carved to make a stays for a new basket from an older model, Kontum Province. (May 25, 1999)	Knife used to carve and smooth strips of Lo O plant for the thin reeds used in basket weaving, Kontum Province. (May 25, 1999)	Sedang weaver making a freshly carved reed in Kontum Province (May 25, 1999)