Who are the Pà Thẻn and what is notable about their names?
The Pà Thẻn are one of the 54 ethnic groups recognized in Vietnam, according to the List of Ethnic Components attached to Decision No. 121-TCTK/PPCĐ dated 02/3/1979. Their self-name is Pà Hưng. In documents and in the familiar usage of some neighboring communities, they are also mentioned under other names such as Mèo Lài, Mèo Hoa, Mèo Đỏ, Bát tiên tộc, and Mán Pa Teng. It should be noted that these are alternative names for the same ethnic group, not names of separate ethnic groups. The name Pà Thẻn also appears in the Government's official list with other names being Pà Hưng, Mán Pa Teng, Tống, and Mèo Lài.
According to the Survey of 53 Ethnic Minorities dated 01/4/2019, the Pà Thẻn population is 8,248 people. Previously, according to the 2009 Population and Housing Census, the figure was 6,811 people. The change reflects both natural population growth and different survey factors between the two censuses, and should not be understood simply as mechanical fluctuation.
Where do the Pà Thẻn live?
The Pà Thẻn currently reside concentrated in two provinces, Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang. Their housing arrangements are not entirely uniform across localities: depending on the place, people are accustomed to stilt houses, ground-level houses, or half-stilt half-ground houses. Today, in many places people have built sturdy, spacious houses on columns compared to before.
Residence patterns and housing types are points to note when studying this ethnic group, as they reflect adaptation to the terrain and natural conditions of each specific area. Describing the Pà Thẻn generally as living in stilt houses or ground-level houses is incomplete; the scope of each locality should be specified.
Which language family does the Pà Thẻn language belong to?
The Pà Thẻn language belongs to the Hmông-Dao language family. This information is recorded in documents introducing this ethnic group. Besides their mother tongue, many Pà Thẻn people can read and write Nôm Tày and Nùng scripts. This is noteworthy because it shows linguistic and script exchange among communities in the Northeast region.
A clear distinction is needed: the Pà Thẻn language belongs to the Hmông-Dao family, but the Nôm Tày and Nùng scripts that some Pà Thẻn people can read and write belong to the writing traditions of the Tày and Nùng ethnic groups. These are two different scopes and should not be conflated.
What do legends say about the Pà Thẻn origin and migration history?
According to legend, the Pà Thẻn from the Than Lô region (China) came to Vietnam about 200 to 300 years ago, associated with a story of crossing the sea together with the Dao people. This is a legend passed down in the community, not a written historical document, so it should be presented as a legend.
Existing sources do not entirely agree on how the migration story is told in detail, but all record the relative time frame and the connection with the Dao people in community memory. This is a point to state clearly rather than choosing one variant and presenting it as if there were only one way of telling it.
What are the traditional production activities of the Pà Thẻn?
In the past, the Pà Thẻn lived mainly by swidden farming. The cultivation method was slash-and-burn followed by hole-punching and seed-dropping. Crops included rice, corn, and various vegetables, beans, taro, and yam. Production tools were axes, hoes, and knives. Because production depended on nature, especially during crop failures and lean seasons, the Pà Thẻn still had to go into the forest to dig wild yam and wild tuber. Therefore, gathering also played a significant role in economic life.
Their weaving craft has existed for a long time, and woven products are favored by many surrounding ethnic groups. Men often do basketry and carpentry. The Pà Thẻn raise livestock and poultry such as buffalo, cows, goats, pigs, and chickens. Besides serving draft power needs, livestock raising also meets consumption and religious ritual needs.
Seed storage is a very important task for farmers, whether working rice fields or swiddens. The Pà Thẻn store seeds by hanging various plant seeds in the house. This detail shows that the community's agricultural knowledge is transmitted through concrete practice, not only through oral telling.
| Field | Main characteristics |
|---|---|
| Cultivation | Swidden farming, slash-and-burn then hole-punching and seed-dropping |
| Crops | Rice, corn, vegetables, beans, taro, yam |
| Tools | Axes, hoes, knives |
| Secondary crafts | Weaving, basketry, carpentry |
| Livestock | Buffalo, cows, goats, pigs, chickens |
| Gathering | Digging wild yam and wild tuber during lean seasons |
| Transport | Carrying by shoulder pole is the main method |
What is special about Pà Thẻn women's clothing?
The outfit of Pà Thẻn women still retains many distinctive elements. The clothing includes a shirt, skirt, inner scarf, and outer scarf, with very colorful hues. Some decorative motifs on their clothes are also similar to those of the Dao people. Brocade weaving is a tradition of the Pà Thẻn.
Describing the clothing should avoid asserting that all Pà Thẻn women in all localities dress alike. Sources record common features, but specific details may differ by area and by generation.
How are Pà Thẻn social relations and marriage organized?
Neighborhood relations play a leading role. Villages are harmonious, and families often care for and help one another, exchanging labor during peak seasons or for work requiring many hands. In a Pà Thẻn village, multiple clans reside together, usually with one largest clan. The Pà Thẻn have 8 original clans and some other clans of the Dao people such as Bàn and Triệu. Each clan divides into many sub-clans associated with their own legends.
Regarding marriage, the monogamous family is stable. Marriage between people of the same clan is strictly forbidden. Cases of a husband taking a second wife are very rare, and couples rarely divorce. Adultery is condemned by society. From matchmaking to the wedding ceremony, many rituals must be observed. There are two forms of uxorilocal residence: temporary residence at the wife's house (maximum 12 years) and lifelong residence, meaning moving permanently to the wife's family, with children taking the mother's surname.
What conception underlies Pà Thẻn worship customs?
The Pà Thẻn believe in the existence of supernatural beings and that all things have souls. Ghosts and deities fall into two categories: benign and malevolent. The benign include gods in heaven, ancestors, and the earth god. Malevolent spirits include river spirits, stream spirits, and spirits of those who died unexpectedly; these often destroy crops and harm livestock.
The main practice is household ancestor worship. The altar is made of a U-shaped wooden board placed upside down. On the altar surface are placed one incense bowl and one bowl of plain water. The Pà Thẻn have many beliefs related to agriculture, such as offerings before seed-dropping and the new rice ceremony. Legend has it that the rice plant appeared because three animals, the dog, cat, and pig, stole rice seeds from heaven for humans, so during the new rice ceremony these three animals must be fed first. During prolonged drought, villagers perform a rain-praying ceremony. Rituals related to livestock raising and hunting are also emphasized.
These practices should be described as cultural practices, neither asserting nor denying their efficacy. This is the appropriate approach when studying the beliefs of a community.
What are the main festivals and rituals of the Pà Thẻn during the year?
The Pà Thẻn celebrate Lunar New Year and other Tet holidays like other ethnic groups in the Northeast region. They use the lunar calendar in production and daily life. Agricultural rituals such as offerings before seed-dropping, the new rice ceremony, and the rain-praying ceremony during prolonged drought are important milestones in the yearly cycle.
A notable point is that the new rice ceremony is tied to the legend of the rice plant's origin, in which the dog, cat, and pig are fed first. This detail shows that the ritual is not only a practice of praying for good harvests but also reenacts an origin story passed down by the community.
How are Pà Thẻn funerals conducted?
When someone dies, the family fires three gunshots as a signal, then conducts the encoffining. Funeral offerings are brought by married daughters. Each person who comes to pay respects brings one pig of about 25 kg; poor families bring only 7 roosters. The coffin is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk. Inside the coffin, roasted rice is poured and paper is laid over it before the lid is fastened and the grave is dug.
These details are recorded in documents introducing the Pà Thẻn ethnic group. It should be noted that funeral customs may differ between localities and have changed over time, so they should not be mechanically attributed to the entire community everywhere.
What is notable about Pà Thẻn artistic life and knowledge?
Artistic life is rich with singing, flute playing, and folk games. The Pà Thẻn folk artistic heritage is always preserved and developed. Music and musical instruments have been enhanced and performed on stage. Many people can read and write Nôm Tày and Nùng scripts.
These points show that the community's spiritual life is not confined to ritual frameworks but also includes entertainment, performance, and written knowledge activities.
The Pà Thẻn in the overall picture of Vietnam's ethnic communities
Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, of which the Kinh (Việt) account for more than 85.4% of the national population, and the remaining 53 ethnic groups are called minorities, accounting for about 14.6% of the country's total population. Ethnic minorities live across regions but mainly in high mountainous, border, remote, and far-flung areas, concentrated in the northern mountains, Central Highlands, North Central Coast, South Central Coast, and Southwest.
The Pà Thẻn are one of those 54 ethnic groups, with a modest population and residence concentrated in Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang. Learning about the Pà Thẻn is not only learning about a specific ethnic group but also part of understanding the diverse cultural picture of Vietnam's ethnic communities.
| Information group | Content |
|---|---|
| Self-name | Pà Hưng |
| Other names | Mèo Lài, Mèo Hoa, Mèo Đỏ, Bát tiên tộc, Mán Pa Teng, Tống |
| Population (2019) | 8,248 people |
| Language family | Hmông-Dao |
| Area | Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang |
| Main beliefs | Ancestor worship, agricultural rituals |
| Traditional crafts | Brocade weaving, basketry, carpentry |
Points to note when learning about the Pà Thẻn
When studying an ethnic group, a clear distinction should be made between the official name in the list of ethnic components and other names commonly used in writing. Pà Thẻn is the official name; names such as Mèo Lài, Mèo Hoa, Mèo Đỏ, and Bát tiên tộc are alternative names of the same ethnic group. These names should not be separated into distinct ethnic groups.
Additionally, customs such as worship, marriage, and funerals may differ between localities and change over time. Existing sources record common features, but they should not be mechanically attributed to the entire community everywhere. Difference is difference, not deviation from some model.
Finally, religious practices should be described as cultural practices, neither asserting nor denying their efficacy. This is an objective and appropriate approach when studying the spiritual life of an ethnic community.
