Giay ethnic group

Proper name: Giay.

Other names: Nhang, Giang.

Population: 37,964 people.

Language: Giay language belongs to the Tai - Kadai language family.
History: Giay people emigrated to Viet Nam from China about 200 years ago.

Production activities: Giay people have experience in wet-rice cultivation on terraced rice fields. In addition, they grow corn, rice, root crops, and vegetables in swidden fields. Farm animals are raised, but left free to forage. The Giay have several handicrafts, but they are not widespread.

Diet: The Giay eat rice. Rice is boiled in an under-cooked state and then put in a steamer for steam cooking. Water used to co°k rice constitutes a type of drink. Giay cuisine, especially for festivals, is influenced by Han (Chinese) people.

Clothes: Women used to wear dress like the style of Hmong people. Today, they wear dark indigo trousers with a red cotton waistband; a five-panel blouse split at the sides and mid-thigh length and buttoned on the right. Around the collar and sleeves are colorful cotton bands. Women wrap their hair around the head and fix it with red threads. They also wear bags embroidered with colorful threads and zigzag designs on the shoulder. Men wear a kind of trousers called la toa, a shirt with side panels and buttons down the front.

Housing: Giay people live in districts of Bat Xat, Bao Thang, Muong Khuong (province of Lao Cai), Yen Minh, Dong Van (Ha Giang), Phong Tho, Muong Te (Lai Chau). Giay houses of the traditional stilt house style are still widespread in Ha Giang, but the Giay of Lao Cai and Lai Chau have adopted the type of house built on the ground, with an area for drying farm products kept in the front of the house. The house currently comprises three sections, with the altar being placed in the central section.

Transportation: The Giay carry things in back-baskets, horses and buffaloes.

Social organization: Before the revolution of August, 1945, Giay society were divided into distinct social classes. The upper class was composed of officials in the administration of communes, hamlets and mountain villages. Many of them had paddies cultivated and forests grown by farmers. They also had soldiers and housekeepers taking care of funerals and weddings, sometimes they even had a dance troupe. Farmers were forced to pay taxes, do hard work, pay money to the officials.