Nung

Population: Estimated to be more than 700,000.

Location: Provinces of: Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thau Nguyen, and Tuyen Quang.

Language: The Nung language is part of the Tai languages (written script developed c. 17th century).

Sustenance: Agriculture; terraced hillside, paddy, orchard farming. Rice, maize, tangerine, persimmon. Prominent income from Anise. Handicrafts (bamboo, rattan, weaving), carpentry, iron forging.

Religion/Beliefs: Ancestor worship; Confucius; Kwan Yin--Bodhisattva.

Customs: When drinking alcohol, partakers cross hands and drink from the opposite glass, to demonstrate trust. Fairy tales, folk music, and adherence to tradition and ethnic identity are strong characteristics of Nung people.

The Nung's traditional, indigo (symbolising faithfulness) clothing was made famous by Ho Chi Minh, worn when he returned to Vietnam in 1941.

Prominent Nung people: Kim Dong (August Revolution--1945.)