ethnic affairs

Update news ethnic affairs

Commercializing Vietnam's ethnic rituals: Where should the line be drawn?

As tourism and economic development reshape Vietnam's northern highlands, researchers warn that sacred rituals and indigenous beliefs must not become mere commercial attractions, urging greater community control over cultural heritage.

Searching for water among karst plateaus during the dry season

From around October through April, the Dong Van Karst Plateau in Tuyen Quang Province enters its dry season. For people in many areas, this is also the time when they are haunted by the need to save every drop of water for daily use.

Lang Son's Nung ethnic community pilots low-impact tourism model

Thirteen Nung households in Lang Son are trying a different approach to tourism. 

Thai ethnic weaving tradition draws tourists to Vietnam's Thanh Hoa

In a quiet mountain village in central Vietnam, the rhythmic clatter of wooden looms tells a story of cultural survival, as ethnic Thai families bring their weaving heritage into community tourism.

Vietnam plans new ethnic minority policy to narrow development gaps

Vietnam is preparing a new resolution on ethnic minority affairs, seeking to address persistent policy barriers and set development targets for 2035, with a longer-term vision to 2045.

Vietnam's 'lakes in the sky' sustain life on the rocky Dong Van Plateau

High among the jagged limestone mountains of northern Vietnam, reservoirs perched more than 1,000 meters above sea level offer rare patches of blue-green water. 

Vietnam brings ethnic and religious data into national digital infrastructure

Vietnam has officially linked its ethnic and religious databases to the National Data Center, turning fragmented records into standardized datasets designed for sharing and use across the country's digital infrastructure.

Hre mouth harp keeps an old language of love alive in Vietnam

For generations of the Hre ethnic community in central Vietnam, the Ra ngoi mouth harp was more than an instrument: its melodies let young men and women court, converse and express feelings that words could not.

Vietnam updates list of disadvantaged ethnic minority, mountain villages

Vietnam has released an updated list of villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, including those classified as extremely disadvantaged, across 27 provinces and cities for the 2026-2030 period.

Meet the Co Tu elder who builds Guol houses and plays dozens of instruments

For Co Tu village elder A Lang Doi, preserving culture means more than performing on festival stages: it means ensuring children in his community can play the gongs, perform traditional dances and carry those traditions into the future.

Vietnam seeks better data systems in push to strengthen ethnic minority rights

Vietnam is seeking to strengthen data systems and policy coordination as it reviews two years of efforts to implement the UN convention against racial discrimination and improve protections for ethnic minorities.

Vietnam targets fully qualified ethnic-language teachers by 2030

Vietnam aims to have all teachers of ethnic minority languages meet national training standards by 2030, as the country works to address shortages of teachers, textbooks and learning materials. 

Ho Chi Minh City turns to tech to preserve ethnic, religious heritage

Ho Chi Minh City is using data, digital skills and new “digital destinations” to modernize governance while preserving the cultural heritage of its diverse ethnic and religious communities.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

For ethnic minority communities, digital transformation offers an opportunity to bring cultural values from villages and communities to wider society.

Vietnam’s Co Tu basketry survives in the hands of an 84-year-old artisan

At 84, Hoih Plat still spends months weaving a single rattan tray in Vietnam’s Da Nang. Orders keep coming, but his greatest concern is finding someone to carry on the Co Tu craft.

Vietnamese clergy in Vatican seen as cultural bridges to the world

Vietnamese priests and religious in the Vatican and Italy can serve as cultural and peace ambassadors, helping international communities better understand Vietnam, a government minister said during a visit to Rome.

Two friends from Vietnam’s La Hu community share top honors

1. For Thang Ga Lo and Vang Thi Mai, university meant leaving a remote La Hu community for Hanoi and navigating challenges they had never faced before. They finished four years later as joint top graduates.

Atop Vietnam’s mountains, a young Hmong leader drives change

High in the mountains of northern Vietnam, a remote Hmong village is gaining new roads and livelihoods, with 30-year-old community leader Giang A Thu helping drive a transformation from within.

Two ethnic minority datasets to join Vietnam’s national data system

Vietnam has set a Sept. 20 deadline to connect two priority ethnic minority datasets to the National Data Center, as authorities seek to ensure the information is verified, legally valid and ready for official use.

Mindsets changed to bridge digital divide in ethnic areas

In recent years, the Party and State have placed particular emphasis on digital transformation among ethnic minority communities.