LÔ LÔ

Other names: Mun Di, Lo Lo Hoa and Lo Lo Den

Population

3,307 people

Locality

Dong Van and Meo Vac districts of Ha Giang Province, Bao Lac District of Cao Bang Province and Muong Khuong District of Lao Cai Province.

Customs & Habits

The Lo Lo mainly worship their ancestors. In fact, their villages are normally on mountain slopes close to sources of water. They live in a group of villages, each village having 20 to 25 houses. These houses are either on stilts, half on stilts and a half on the ground, or level with the ground. People of the same lineage live in the same village. The leader of the lineage is the Thau Chu. This leader is responsible for ritual ceremonies and the preservation of the customs of that lineage.

The Lo Lo practice monogamy and the wife comes to live in her husband’s house after marriage. The Lo Lo use bronze drums for special occasions, but bury these drums in the earth for maintenance, and unearth them only for usage. The head of each family lineage is the keeper of the bronze drums. They use these drums at funerals or to keep time during dances.

Culture

The Lo Lo language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman Group. Their written language used pictographic scripts which are no longer in use. The calendar of the Lo Lo divides the year into 11 months, each corresponding to the name of an animal. The folklore culture of the Lo Lo is diverse. It is expressed particularly well in dances, songs, and old tales. The Lo Lo people have a high level of education, as many are university graduates or they have finished secondary education.

Costumes

The Lo Lo Hoa women often wear a low-neck vest and a pair of trousers underneath a short skirt. Lo Lo Den men wear pajama-style trousers and a square necked vest pulled over their heads. They incorporate colourful designs into their turbans, vests, skirts, and trousers.

Economy

The Lo Lo depend mainly on maize and rice as forms of income generation.