Hoa ethnic group

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Dear delegation!

The Chinese are one of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. For more than three centuries, the Chinese community from China has settled in Vietnam at many times and lived in many different areas. In addition to the main period at the end of the 17th century (1679) of the "anti-Manchu and restore Ming" group, who gathered in three major locations: Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh, My Tho... led by Tran Thang Tai and Duong Ngan Dich; there was also a group led by Mac Cuu who came to Mang Kham, then established Ha Tien, in the early 18th century. In addition to the times marking the above-mentioned major migrations, the Chinese community from China continued to come to Vietnam at many other times and settled everywhere. In particular, in the Mekong Delta, the Chinese have settled in many provinces such as Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, An Giang, Dong Thap...

Along with the large migration flows into Vietnam, the Chinese settled in An Giang province quite early. In the early 18th century, a group of Chinese followed Chief Nguyen Huu Canh to settle in Cho Moi district (My Luong commune and Cho Moi town). At the same time, Minh Huong commune was formed early in Long Son village (Tan Chau) and in My Duc commune (Chau Phu district), demonstrating their integration into the Vietnamese community very early, through the form of intermingling. The Chinese live concentrated in two major locations: Long Xuyen town and Chau Doc.

They are also present in some towns in the districts of An Phu, Tan Chau, Cho Moi, Phu Tan, Chau Phu, Chau Thanh, Tri Ton, Tinh Bien and Thoai Son. A few live scattered in rural and border areas such as in the communes of Khanh Binh, Khanh An, Quoc Thai, Phuoc Hung, Da Phuoc (An Phu district), Phu Hiep (Phu Tan), Vinh My (Chau Doc town), My Duc (Chau Phu)...

Through many historical periods, the Chinese in An Giang have settled down and made a living, had an increasingly prosperous life, and the economy has grown. Currently, the whole province has 11,256 Chinese people, accounting for 0.5% of the province's population.

During the process of living together with the Vietnamese, the Chinese also often lived in groups of different languages, forming many areas with a large number of Chaozhou Chinese people such as in Chau Doc town; the Hakka people in Tinh Bien district; the Fujian people in Long Xuyen town...

Dear delegation!

Regarding traditional costumes, they still retain their own unique characteristics towards the national origin. During Tet holidays, Chinese women often wear a type of dress that the Vietnamese call “Sùnăm” (and the Chinese call it “chuận chỉ”).

Cheongsam is a type of women's ao dai, sewn with a slit and a waistline. The dress has a daisy-shaped fabric button and 6 fabric buttons on the right armpit. It has no sleeves or short sleeves. The collar stands up, about 4cm high, and is sewn with silk or satin... in jade green, red, pink, yellow...

Men wear a long, buttonless tunic, over which is a short, buttoned shirt.

           For the Chinese, they traditionally follow the patriarchal system. Children take their father's surname. In the past, Chinese husbands often followed the custom of "five wives and seven concubines", but now gradually many families live happily under the monogamy system. Sons have the right to inherit their parents' property.

When getting married, the Chinese do not marry people of the same surname, the family factor is highly valued and is the bond that connects people of the same surname together through many generations. Some of the wedding customs of the Chinese in An Giang in the past still retain some main features in each community of the language group. The Chinese of Chaozhou conduct wedding ceremonies with lucky money, whether big or small, must have the number 4, while the Chinese of Guangdong prefer the numbers 6 and 8. Nowadays, due to living together with the Vietnamese, the Chinese have integrated into the lives of the Vietnamese, both in rituals and costumes. Chinese women wear Western wedding dresses on their wedding day.

Traditional wedding attire of Chinese bride and groom (object only)

The bride wears a red wedding dress (gray) made of embroidered brocade, knee-length, a short dress made of colorful brocade, standing collar, slit in the middle, large knot, long and wide sleeves revealing the white dress inside. The entire dress and skirt are embroidered with phoenixes "phung gray" (phoenix dress). The bride also wears a wedding hat (phoenix hat), consisting of a phoenix with red velvet flowers swaying with each step, in front of the hat is a thin curtain made of pearl beads to cover the face. The feet wear brocade or velvet shoes embroidered with flowers.

The groom's outfit is a green brocade dress and shirt, woven with the word longevity or the word happiness. The groom's shirt embroidered with a dragon is called "lung xam" (dragon shirt). The shirt is usually long, with a high collar, long and wide sleeves, buttoned on the right side or in the middle. Inside, he wears a white shirt, on his head he wears a dark green pumpkin or watermelon hat, and brocade shoes. In the middle of the groom's chest is a large red fabric flower, tied diagonally around the body. Sometimes the groom does not wear a flower but wears a short sleeveless shirt, split in the middle, called "ma hoa" over the long shirt.

Some artifacts used in daily life (only artifacts)

Dear delegation!

Each Chinese community with different languages ​​specializes in a number of specific occupations. While the majority of Cantonese Chinese live by selling groceries (some artifacts used in business such as... (referring to the artifact... scales...), the Teochew people sell tea, (tea barrels,) the Teochew people farm and cultivate (they use wooden barrels to carry water to irrigate the fields and also use them to wash clothes (referring to the artifact of a pair of wooden barrels to irrigate the fields, a rake), the Hakka people specialize in trading Chinese medicine (reconstructing a Chinese medicine cabinet, medicine cabinet)...

About beliefs and religions

As one of many residents in Southeast Asia who believe in gods who have the ability to protect, shelter, and help people, in the thinking of immigrants from China to Vietnam, they brought with them the characteristic of polytheism in their beliefs. Many gods that were worshiped in their homeland were preserved by the Chinese community when they came to the new land. In addition to worshiping ancestors, clans, and families; guardian gods (kitchen gods, land gods, and wealth gods); some saints and bodhisattvas such as Quan Thanh De Quan, Ba Thien Hau, Ong Bon, etc.) are worshiped in many pagodas and temples (the system is quite developed, pagodas and temples are often associated with Assembly Halls, schools, etc., these are also places for community cultural activities and festivals). Introducing images of Chinese temples.

The main festival in the temple is to celebrate the birthdays of the gods being worshiped; regular worship days during the year such as the full moon of January, July and October; thanksgiving and peace worship at the end of the year (December 16) at That Phu Temple. Especially during Vu Lan festival, the temples organize worship many consecutive days on July 18, 19, 20, 21.

Traditional cultural activities of the Chinese have many genres such as singing, dancing, comedy... with many types of musical instruments: (only objects) flute, flute, various types of zither (kim, nhi, nguyet...)

Lion dance, dragon dance… (photo only) are popular art forms that are performed annually on major holidays such as Tet. During the year, holidays for the Chinese are occasions for fun and entertainment within the family and community. In addition to Tet Nguyen Dan, there are also Nguyen Tieu, Thanh Minh, Doan Ngo, Trung Nguyen, Trung Thu… Nowadays, these festivals are not only participated by the Chinese, but are also common festivals of the entire province.

The Chinese community lives mainly on commerce, in which pulse-taking and herbal medicine are the most typical occupations. To maintain and develop their careers, they set out principles to advise their children and grandchildren that doing business must keep the word “trust” as the top priority. Therefore, most large and small shops must hang a board called “Sinh Y Kinh” for everyone to remember. (referring to the Sinh Y Kinh board).

Dear delegation!

The traditional cultural activities that the Chinese people preserve show that the unique cultural values ​​that they preserve, maintain and promote have contributed to enriching the national cultural treasure in An Giang in particular and the Southwest region in general.