TL;DR: The Pà Thẻn (self-name Pà Hưng) are one of Vietnam's 54 recognized ethnic groups, per Decision 121-TCTK/PPCĐ dated 02/3/1979. The 2019 survey of 53 ethnic minorities recorded 8,248 Pà Thẻn people, concentrated in Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang, speaking a language of the Hmông-Dao family. Their religious life centers on household ancestor worship, agricultural rites such as pre-sowing offerings and the new rice ceremony, along with folk arts and traditional brocade weaving that are still maintained.
Who are the Pà Thẻn people and what is noteworthy about their name?
Pà Thẻn is one of the 54 officially recognised ethnic groups in Vietnam, according to the List of Ethnic Components accompanying Decision No. 121-TCTK/PPCĐ dated 2 March 1979. The self-designation of this ethnic group is Pà Hưng. In written materials and in the familiar usage of some neighbouring 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 official government list with the alternative names Pà Hưng, Mán Pa Teng, Tống, and Mèo Lài.
According to the Survey of 53 Ethnic Minorities dated 1 April 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 people live?
The Pà Thẻn people currently reside mainly in two provinces, Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang. Their housing arrangements are not entirely uniform across localities: depending on the area, people are accustomed to living in stilt houses, houses on the ground, or houses that are half stilt and half ground level. Today, in many places people have built sturdier and more spacious houses on columns.
Residence patterns and housing types are points worth noting when studying this ethnic group, because 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 needs to be specified.
Which language family does the Pà Thẻn language belong to?
The Pà Thẻn language belongs to the Hmông-Dao language family. This is information recorded in introductory materials about this ethnic group. Besides their mother tongue, many Pà Thẻn people can read and write Nôm Tày and Nùng script. This is noteworthy because it shows linguistic and written exchange between communities in the Northeast region.
A clear distinction is needed: the Pà Thẻn language belongs to the Hmông-Dao language family, but the Nôm Tày and Nùng script that some Pà Thẻn people can read and write belongs to the written traditions of the Tày and Nùng peoples. These are two different domains and should not be conflated.
What do the legends about the origin and migration history of the Pà Thẻn people tell?
According to legend, the Pà Thẻn people from the Than Lô region (China) came to Vietnam about 200 to 300 years ago, linked to a story of crossing the sea together with the Dao people. This is a legend passed down within the community, not a written historical document, and should therefore be presented as a legend.
Existing sources do not entirely agree on how the details of the migration story are told, but all record the relative timeframe and the connection with the Dao people in community memory. This is a point that should be stated clearly rather than choosing one variant and presenting it as though there were only one way of telling it.
What did the traditional production activities of the Pà Thẻn people include?
In the past, the Pà Thẻn people lived mainly by swidden farming. The cultivation method was slash-and-burn, then making holes with a stick and dropping seeds in. Crops included rice, maize, and various vegetables, beans, taro, and yam. Production tools were axes, hoes, and knives. Because production depended on nature, especially in times of crop failure or the lean season before harvest, the Pà Thẻn still had to go into the forest to dig up wild yam and wild arrowroot. For this reason, gathering also played a significant role in their economic life.
Their weaving craft has existed for a long time, and woven products are favoured by many surrounding ethnic groups. Men often do basketry and carpentry. The Pà Thẻn raise livestock and poultry such as buffalo, cattle, goats, pigs, and chickens. Besides serving draught needs, livestock raising also meets consumption and religious ritual needs.
Seed storage is a very important task for farmers, whether they work wet rice fields or swidden fields. The Pà Thẻn store seeds by hanging various types of plant seeds in the house. This detail shows that the community's agricultural knowledge is passed down through concrete practice, not only through oral accounts.
| Domain | Main characteristics |
|---|---|
| Cultivation | Swidden farming, slash-and-burn then making holes and dropping seeds |
| Crops | Rice, maize, vegetables, beans, taro, yam |
| Tools | Axe, hoe, knife |
| Secondary crafts | Weaving, basketry, carpentry |
| Livestock | Buffalo, cattle, goats, pigs, chickens |
| Gathering | Digging wild yam and wild arrowroot during the lean season |
| Transport | Carrying poles are the main means of transport |
What is special about the clothing of Pà Thẻn women?
The clothing of Pà Thẻn women still retains many distinctive elements. The outfit includes a shirt, skirt, inner scarf, and outer scarf, in very colourful tones. Some decorative motifs on their clothing are also similar to those of the Dao people. Brocade weaving is a tradition of the Pà Thẻn people.
When describing clothing, one should avoid asserting that all Pà Thẻn women in all localities dress the same. Sources record common characteristics, but specific details may differ depending on the area and generation.
How are social relations and marriage among the Pà Thẻn people organised?
Neighbourly relations play a leading role. Villages are harmonious, and families often care for and help one another, exchanging labour during peak farming seasons or for tasks requiring many hands. In a Pà Thẻn village, many clans live together, and there is usually 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 is divided into many sub-clans associated with their own legends.
Regarding marriage, the monogamous family is durable. 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 the matchmaking stage to the wedding ceremony, many rituals must be observed. There are two forms of uxorilocal residence: temporary residence with the wife's family (maximum 12 years) and lifelong residence, meaning moving permanently to the wife's family, with children taking the mother's surname.
On what conception is the worship practice of the Pà Thẻn people based?
The Pà Thẻn believe in the existence of supernatural beings, and that all things have souls. Spirits and deities fall into two categories: benevolent and malevolent. The benevolent category includes heavenly deities, ancestors, and the earth god. Malevolent spirits include river spirits, stream spirits, and the spirits of those who died a sudden or untimely death; they often destroy crops and harm livestock.
Ancestor worship within the home is the main practice. The altar is made from a U-shaped wooden board turned 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 dropping seeds and the new rice ceremony. The legend about the origin of the rice plant says that three animals, the dog, the cat, and the pig, stole rice seeds from heaven to bring to humans, so during the new rice ceremony these three animals must be fed first. When drought lasts a long time, villagers hold a cầu mùa (prayer for a good harvest) for rain. Rituals related to livestock raising and hunting are also emphasised.
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 people during the year?
The Pà Thẻn celebrate Lunar New Year and other festivals like other ethnic groups in the Northeast region. They use the lunar calendar in production and daily life. Agricultural rituals such as offerings before dropping seeds, the new rice ceremony, and the cầu mùa (prayer for a good harvest) for rain when drought is prolonged are important milestones in the yearly cycle.
A noteworthy point is that the new rice ceremony is linked to the legend about the origin of the rice plant, 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 re-enacts an origin story passed down by the community.
How does the fire-jumping ritual of the Pà Thẻn people take place?
According to Đoàn Thị Mỹ Hương (2025), the fire-jumping ritual usually takes place at the beginning of the year and begins when it gets dark, under the direction of the ritual master: lighting candles, arranging offerings, burning incense, asking permission from the spirits, and only then entering the ritual. Only men perform the fire jumping, in black clothing; women in red clothing stand around the fire. The Pà Thẻn consider this a ritual to welcome deities descending to earth. Those who jump into the glowing embers believe that the deity has entered their body, and according to the article, they feel no pain or burns. The ritual only stops when the fire has completely died down; at that point the ritual master recites a farewell prayer and thanks the deities, praying for the villagers to have warmth, plenty, and good health.
Also according to this article, the fire-jumping ritual of the Pà Thẻn people has been recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
How are funerals conducted among the Pà Thẻn people?
When someone dies, the family fires three gunshots as a signal, then carries out the washing and dressing of the body. Offerings for the funeral are brought by married daughters. Each visitor brings one pig of about 25 kg; poor households bring only 7 roosters. The coffin is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk. Inside the coffin, roasted rice is poured in and paper is laid over it before the coffin is sealed and lowered into the grave.
These details are recorded in introductory materials about 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 the artistic and intellectual life of the Pà Thẻn people?
Their artistic life is rich, including singing, flute playing, and folk games. The folk arts of the Pà Thẻn people have always been preserved and developed. Music and musical instruments have been enhanced and performed on stage. Many people can read and write Nôm Tày and Nùng script.
These are points showing that the spiritual life of the community is not confined to ritual frameworks, but also includes recreational activities, performances, and written knowledge.
The Pà Thẻn people within the broader picture of Vietnam's ethnic communities
Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, of which the Kinh (Việt) people make up more than 85.4% of the national population, while the remaining 53 ethnic groups are called minorities, accounting for about 14.6% of the country's total population. Ethnic minorities live across various regions but mainly in high mountainous areas, border areas, and remote areas, concentrated mostly in the northern mountains, the Central Highlands, North Central Coast and South Central Coast, and the Southwest.
Pà Thẻn is one of those 54 ethnic groups, with a modest population and a residence area 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-designation | 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 ethnic group
When learning about an ethnic group, one should clearly distinguish between the official name in the list of ethnic components and other names already familiar in written usage. Pà Thẻn is the official name; names such as Mèo Lài, Mèo Hoa, Mèo Đỏ, and Bát tiên tộc are alternative names for the same ethnic group. These names should not be separated into distinct ethnic groups.
In addition, customs such as worship, marriage, and funerals may differ between localities and change over time. Existing sources record common characteristics, but they should not be mechanically attributed to the entire community everywhere. Difference is difference, not deviation from some model.
Finally, belief 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.
