Cham ethnic group

HTML clipboard Other names: Cham, Chiem, Chiem Thanh, Cham Pa, Hoi, etc.
 Local groups: Cham Hroi, Cham Poong, Cha Va Ku and Cham Chau Doc.
 Population: 98,971 people.
 Language: Cham language belongs to the Malayo- Polynesian language family.
 History: The Cham, who have lived along the coast of central Vietnam for a long time, possess a rich culture profoundly influenced by Indian culture. Until the 17th century, the Cham had successfully maintained their own nation, known as Cham Pa. The local population is composed of two groups: those living in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan believing in Brahmanism, with a smaller group following Bani (old Islam). Those residing in Chau Doc, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City follow what is referred to as new Islam.
 Production activities: The Cham have a tradition of wet rice cultivation. They are experienced in intensive farming and gardening and use irrigation. Apart from wet rice cultivation, the Cham also cultivate an annual crop of rice on dry swidden fields located on the mountainsides. Meanwhile, the economy of the Cham living in the south is characterized by fishing, agriculture, textile weaving, and small-scale enterprises. Handicrafts are fairly well- developed, especially silkworm textiles and hand-made pottery wares that are baked in open kilns. The Cham engaged early on in external trade with other populations, as the central coast used to be a busy hub for commercial transactions by famous merchant ships.
 Diet: The Cham eat rice cooked in large and small earthen pots. It is often accompanied by fish, meat and bulb vegetables, which are obtained from hunting, gathering, animal husbandry and agricultural production. Popular drinks are rice and can (pipe) wines. Betel chewing is very important to people's daily life and traditional rituals.
 Clothing: Both men and women wear long one-piece sarongs or cloth wrappers. Men wear shirts fastened down the centre with buttons, while women wear long-sleeved pullover blouses. The main color of their daily dress is cotton- white. Nowadays, the Cham dress like the Viet in other parts of central Vietnam, with long- sleeved blouses only being worn by elderly women.
 Lifestyle: The majority of Cham live in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan. They build their houses on the ground, with the rooms being arranged according to a particular order: the sitting room, rooms for the parents, children, and married women, the kitchen and warehouse (including the granary), and the nuptial room of the youngest daughter.
 Transportation: The chief means of transporting goods and produce is the back-basket. The Cham are also expert boat builders, which serve river and sea fishing. They also make heavy-weight buffalo carts for transporting large quantities of goods by land.
 Social organization: The Cham family is traditionally matriarchal, though in the past Cham society was a feudal one. In areas where people follow Islam, the family structure may be somewhat patriarchal, although traces of matriarchy still exist in family relation- ships and ancestor worship. The local population was originally divided into two major family lineages, including Cau and Dua, such as the Nie and Mlo of Ede group. The Cau lineage then became a working class, while the Dua was the class of aristocracy and priests. Under each lineage were the mother- governed sub-lineages, always headed by an aged woman, of the youngest lineage. The lineages can have numerous family branches. The ancient Cham society also set out ranks for different social classes, including that of the ancient Indian society. The social classes lived in different areas, and there were certain barriers between them that prevented cross-marriage, co-existence in the same village, eating from a shared tray of food, etc.
Other 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam:

 

High Quality Tour Service:

 

Free consultancy
Online communication
Affordable, refundable
Customized service
Flexible, changeable
Interaction with locals
Authentic experience
Deposit, pay on arrival
Clear cancellation term

 

... I cannot thank you enough for our three week tour in Vietnam which included a few days in Cambodia ...

Roy, Spain

 

... Thank you for a great trip in the north of Vietnam! It was really good and everything was organized so good! ...

Fransesca, Netherlands

Copyright 2025 by Tuan Linh Travel Co., Ltd.
A member of Vietnam Travel Promotion Group (VTP Group)
Address: Room 509, 15T2 Building, 18 Tam Trinh Str., Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, Vietnam (See map)
Tel: +84.24.62768866 / mail[at]tuanlinhtravel.com
Designed by SFDVietnam
Online: 150
Visited: 1967