Unique Culture of the Tay Ethnic Group

Amidst the multi-ethnic cultural tapestry, the cultural life of the Tay ethnic people in the highland communes of Duc Nhan, Tan Pheo, Quy Duc, and Cao Son features a unique flavor, highlighted by traditional stilt houses, ancestor worship, and distinctive folk festivals.

The Tay community in highland communes introduces and promotes cultural beauty to tourists in connection with festival activities.

According to research results from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Tay people settled in the communes of former Da Bac hundreds of years ago, concentrating mainly in 4 communes (Duc Nhan, Tan Pheo, Cao Son, Quy Duc), where they account for over 70% of the total population. The Tay community here shares many similarities with the White Thai people who migrated south from Lai Chau and Son La provinces. In addition, a segment of the Tay population originates from provinces such as Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen...

The Tay community lives in clusters forming villages along mountain bases, hillsides, valleys, or near rivers and streams. Their traditional living space centers around stilt houses. Mr. Xa Van Muong in Chieng Cang hamlet, Duc Nhan commune, shared: “Each village typically has several dozen houses belonging to 2 to 10 family lineages. All cultural and production activities are community-oriented, creating a warm, close-knit atmosphere.”

The living activities of the Tay people in Quy Duc commune are tied to stilt houses, blending highland traditions with modern life.

Most Tay households build wooden stilt houses roofed with thatch or palm leaves, featuring architecture similar to Thai stilt houses. The Tay practice ancestor worship, so the altar is always placed in the most solemn location of the house. Their faith turns toward destiny deities, heaven and earth, and spiritual beings such as mountain gods, river gods, land gods, kings, Giang, Then... Through this belief system, family and community consciousness is strengthened and bound tightly.

To protect and promote Tay ethnic identity in the highland communes, party committees and local authorities have over the years paid close attention to encouraging people to participate in preserving tangible and intangible Tay cultural values.

In Duc Nhan commune, local leadership restored and has maintained the Cau Muong Festival since 2017. This is the largest festival in the region, held to commemorate ancestors, tutelary gods, and family lineages who reclaimed the land and established the village and community. It also expresses reverence to the land god, water god, forest god, and lake god for bestowing favorable weather, peaceful lives, good health, and bumper harvests.

At the Cau Muong Festival, alongside meticulously prepared rituals, the festive portion features vibrant spring performances, festival initiation ceremonies, a solidarity xoe dance circle, and engaging folk games and ethnic sports. Visitors to the festival can also experience traditional crafts such as hand weaving, brocade weaving, herbal medicine making, and Tay script writing...

Traditional weaving of the Tay people across the 4 highland communes has been restored and developed, providing a livelihood for local residents.

Along with this, many tangible and intangible cultural heritage assets of the Tay people are emphasized for preservation. Between 2020 and 2025, several projects supported the locality in teaching traditional weaving and brocade pattern decorative arts. A notable example is the project “Enhancing Access to Livelihood Options for Ethnic Minority Youth” funded by the European Union.

The program provides basic knowledge and skills on working with looms and weaving products with vivid, diverse motifs ranging from birds to trees and flowers. As a result, many women in the communes received weaving training to earn additional income while heightening their sense of responsibility in preserving ethnic identity.

A project to teach ancient Tay script has also been implemented by the Institute of Linguistics in Duc Nhan commune for many years. With the companionship of local authorities and artisans, dozens of classes have been opened, enabling hundreds of highland community members to learn, understand the written script, preserve folk knowledge, and spread Tay written culture.

An ancient Tay script artisan in Duc Nhan commune actively “passes the flame,” contributing to preserving and spreading folk knowledge culture to the community.

According to Comrade Hoang Van Nam — Vice Chairman of the Duc Nhan Commune People’s Committee, local leadership possesses a deep awareness regarding the preservation and promotion of ethnic culture. The local Tay community earnestly desires to restore and safeguard their traditional cultural values.

Consequently, the communes regularly conduct communications urging citizens to elevate their awareness of preserving Tay cultural identity specifically and minority ethnic identities generally. They actively promote cultural tourism potential; maintain the Cau Muong Festival with its traditional cultural values to meet spiritual needs; align efforts with infrastructure and tourism service upgrade plans; and issue policies to preserve and promote traditional heritage values and Tay folk knowledge.

Bui Minh