Sanchay ethnic group

Proper name: San Chay.

Other names: Hon Ban, Chung, Trai.

Local groups: Cao Lan and San Chi.

Population: 114,012 people.

Language: The language of the Cao Lan belongs to the Tay-Nung group (of the Tai- Kadai language family) and the language of the San Chi belongs to the Han group (of the Sino-Tibetan language family).

History: The Sanchay migrated from China to Vietnam about 400 years ago.

Production activities: The Sanchay are an agricultural people who farm mainly wet rice paddies, but they also cultivate swidden fields which they prepare by the slash-and-burn method. They use the digging stick to make holes for seedlings. Fish catching plays an important role in their economic life as well. With their unique fishing tools, such as hand nets and woven baskets, fish catching supplies the Sanchay with rich nutritious food and improves their daily meals.

Diet: The Sanchay eat mainly ordinary rice. They also drink a lot of wine especially during the Tet holidays or festivals. Men smoke tobacco in a water pipe. Women chew betel.

Clothing: Sanchay women wear the Cham-style skirt and long shirt or tunic which is decorated around the bottom hem and on the back. For daily wear, Sanchay women wear one Cham-style cloth belt, but on special occasions, like the Tet new year festival, they wear two or three silk belts of different colors.

Housing: The Sanchay live in the provinces of the northeast. They live in stilt houses of a style similar to those of the Tay, who live in the same area.

Transportation: The Sanchay usually carry goods in a bag on their back like a back pack.

Social organization: Before the August Revolution, lands and fields were private property and social classes were more distinct Landowners and rich peasants were part of Sanchay society. Depending on the area, the colonial government had some positions such as quart man, tai cha, quan lanh... In addition, there was an autonomous system of governance in the village, one that was voted by villagers and called khan thu. There are a variety of Sanchay lineages, with some of the largest family lineages being the Hoang, Tran, La, Ninh. Both the branches of the family lineages and worshipping cults play important roles in Sanchay community life.