Gallery Description: Culture of Kinh Ethnic Group

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In the historical period of land opening and keeping nation’s land, An Giang is the last land explored by Vietnamese residents at the forefront of the Southwest border of the country. With courageous and diligent labor, the ethnic communities in An Giang have glued their hands to control nature and wild animals, they have turned wild forests into gardens and prosperous towns. They have made the land and water blend together, contributing to cultivating An Giang more and more prosperous and beautiful.  

The terrain of An Giang is a plain but mountainous region (the Seven Mountains region is located in the southwest running along the Cambodian border), the administrative unit includes: 2 cities (Long Xuyen, Chau Doc), 1 town (Tan Chau) with districts: Chau Thanh, Chau Phu, Cho Moi, Phu Tan, Thoai Son, Tri Ton, Tinh Bien and An Phu.  

          With an area of 3,424 km2 with a population of over 2 million people, An Giang has 4 ethnic groups living for a long time: Kinh, Khmer, Hoa and Cham. The Kinh people live everywhere in the province, the Khmer people live in the districts: Tri Ton, Tinh Bien, a few in Chau Thanh, Thoai Son. 

         The Kinh people live everywhere in the province, the Khmer people live in the districts: Tri Ton, Tinh Bien, a few in Chau Thanh, Thoai Son. 

        Chinese people live mainly in city centers, towns and towns, typically Long Xuyen city and Chau Doc city. 

        More than 250 years ago, the first group of Kinh people came to An Giang land, they worked together to clear the wasteland, establish a village to turn the wasteland into a rich place, unite to settle and stabilize their lives. In addition to complete farming, aquatic fishing has also developed: nets, ponds, rafts, and drying pangasius collect a significant export benefit.  

        Introducing some pictures of the life of Kinh residents in the years 1929-1935 such as: The old An Giang canal, the typical boat wharf of the An Giang river area...  Trade plays a quite important role, creating the circulation and distribution of goods in the region and surrounding areas, the image of the floating market is a very characteristic feature of the An Giang river area.  

Blessed by nature as a river area, the amount of alluvium deposited annually, An Giang is a granary of the Mekong Delta. The farm implements used are rice, rake tables, spear beaks, jingles, canoes, hoes... fans, rice counting card sets, pecans, pestles, rice mills, rice mills, foot mills, rice apples...  

Items used in daily life such as: jukebox, iron, economical chicken pipe, baking kit...  

In the daily festival, the typical costume of the Kinh ethnic group is Ba Ba shirt, Ao Dai with a closed scarf.  

Introducing to the delegation this is the main pavilion in a Vietnamese house in the South, the house has its own characteristics, reflected in the layout, structure of building materials and interior decoration.  

Whether rudimentary, simple or large, sophisticated, there is a clear distinction between the upper house and the lower house. The lower house is the daily living space of all family members, the upper house occupies the most formal position. It is a place for worship and reception of guests, usually the house has 3 compartments: the middle compartment is arranged to worship ancestors, the front is placed with a set of tables and chairs and percussion boards for guests to eat and rest, sometimes the activities of Don Ca Tai Tu.  

Vietnamese people attach great importance to ancestor worship, every family member, regardless of rich or poor, has an altar in the house, and the death of grandparents is an opportunity for children and grandchildren to reunite and work together towards a more complete life.  

Introducing to the delegation a number of artifacts worshipped in communal houses such as: gongs, altar pillows, ancient drums, beaks, set of holes... bronze top collection, bronze vase collection. 

Although An Giang is a newly established land, it has gathered many talented scholars to come here to cultivate the spirit of patriotism such as: Nguyen Huu Canh, Thoai Ngoc Hau, Tran Van Thanh, Nguyen Sinh Sac. so all over the land of An Giang, their merits are marked everywhere. (Introducing photos of relics: Chau Phu Communal House, the scene of the procession of the mythical Thoai Ngoc Hau to Ba Temple on the day of the Princess of Nui Sam Mountain, Giong Thanh Pagoda...)

An Giang is the birthplace and development of 3 religions: Buu Son Ky Huong (founded by Doan Minh Huyen, the principle of practicing Buddhism: taking Buddhist monks as the foundation of the teachings of the Tao, studying Buddhism and following the Buddha's teachings), Four Graces of Filial Piety (founded by Mr. Ngo Tu Loi in 1869, The principle of practice is almost similar to Buu Son Qi Huong, the Four Graces are: Gratitude to ancestors and parents, grace to the country, grace to the three treasures, grace to mankind, the image of worship is the ceiling (introducing photos of Phuoc Dien Pagoda, Thoi Son Pagoda, Phi Lai Pagoda, Tam Buu... some worship artifacts found in the ancestral family of the Tao).  

Hoa Hao Buddhism is a religion with a very large number of followers, founded by Mr. Huynh Phu Su on May 18, 1939 in Hoa Hao village. The basic teachings of the Tao originate from Buddhism: advising believers to cultivate virtue, compassion and charity, the law of cause and effect, and the image of worship is the ceiling (only the photo of An Hoa Temple Panorama)  

Cao Dai Tao is a Taoist religion established in Tay Ninh province called the Great Dao of the Three Periods. The Tao reflects all the truths of Buddhism, Confucius, and Lao, pointing to the supreme being, the Jade Emperor of God. Every day, believers perform rituals at the Sanctuary or the Mother Buddha shrine. The main worship statue of the Tao is the Heavenly Eye that illuminates all over the world. (only photo of Cao Dai Sanctuary in Binh Khanh ward).  

Catholicism has been present in An Giang since very early (1778), Cu Lao Giang Church is the earliest place of development of religion (Catholicism worships Christ Jesus the Son of God, statues of the Virgin Mary, Holy Father Jusé). Protestantism has the same origin as Catholicism (the difference is that it only worships God, not idols, saints, and belief in God is expressed through the Bible. Today the system of Catholics and Protestants is present everywhere in the province. 

 Dear Ladies and Gentlemen: Every folk or Taoist belief teaches people to do good, avoid evil, unite and love each other towards a good life and together build An Giang's homeland more and more rich, beautiful, prosperous and happy. The explanation of the Kinh ethnic culture gallery is the end, I would like to invite you to continue to see the next galleries.