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The unique culture of the Lô Lô people in Lung Cu awaits your discovery.
Traditional Lô Lô house architecture
The Lô Lô people often choose spacious flat valleys to build their houses. The architecture of Lô Lô houses is not overly elaborate and shares some similarities with the homes of the Chinese and Cờ Lao people. In the ancient village of Lung Cu – the main residence of the Lô Lô people, you can easily find traditional brick-wall houses with yin-yang tiled roofs and characteristic yellow clay walls. The special feature of these houses is their coolness in summer and warmth in winter. Occasionally, in some houses, ancient rose arbors bloom brightly in a corner of the sky. Try wearing a traditional Lô Lô costume and take a stroll around the village; wherever you stand, you'll capture beautiful memories.
Traditional brick-wall houses peacefully nestle in the valley.
Traditional brick-wall houses peacefully nestle in the valley.
Wear the traditional attire of the Lô Lô people.
The Lô Lô people preserve their traditional culture through distinctive attire. I had the fortune to capture this photo series during the leisurely summer days in Lung Cu - Hà Giang. The person in the photos is Thu - my friend who lives in the Lô Lô village - Lung Cu. Nowadays, young women can modify their attire to be more suitable and eye-catching while still maintaining the traditional cultural characteristics. My friend has changed details like her headscarf and sleeve cuffs, with patterns and colors she likes.
The traditional attire of the Lô Lô people is intricately embellished.
Lô Lô women do not use embroidery frames; they simply hold the fabric to embroider, with very skillful needlework. Typically, a complete set of Lô Lô attire includes a shirt, trousers or skirt, and a scarf. The fabric used for clothing is black linen.
The shirt is a short, round-necked, long-sleeved garment, with the hem just touching the waistband to accentuate the body's contours. The front and back are decorated with triangular color patches, pieced together into square blocks. The two front flaps have two large decorative lines and are embroidered with common traditional patterns such as mountains, and the Ngó Bá bird - a bird closely associated with local folklore... The trousers of Lô Lô women are adorned with running floral patterns along the legs and near the hem.
Vibrant patterns on Lô Lô attire.
Cotton belts adorned with floral motifs, edges, and two ends embellished with colorful tassels and beads. When worn, the belt is tied with both ends hanging in the front, coordinating colors with the clothing. Lô Lô headscarves often feature multi-colored raised embroidered patterns along the edges, with various floral motifs running along the scarf's edge and at the top. Additionally, the scarf edges are adorned with rows of plastic buttons forming flower shapes or decorated with round beads, silver, and tassels.
Bright attire that remarkably complements the ancient house ambiance.
On August 18, 2022, the traditional craft of 'Artistic decoration on the attire of the Black Lô Lô people' was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, demonstrating the longevity and traditional cultural values preserved by this attire.
The unique funeral rites of the Lô Lô people – A distinctive aspect of traditional customs
It's very rare to witness a traditional Lô Lô funeral held in the village at the foot of the flagpole in Lung Cu. According to Lô Lô beliefs, the earth is round, and the universe consists of three worlds: the human world, the celestial world, and the world of spirits. The Lô Lô people also believe that the sky is the father and the earth is the mother; only with both can grass grow, and it's the sky that determines human destiny. They attach great importance to funerals because they believe that although humans cannot see ghosts, spirits always follow humans, and disrespect can lead to calamity. The Lô Lô funeral in Lô Lô Chải village follows two rituals: fresh funeral (burial) and dry funeral (returning the deceased to the ancestors). After the funeral, relatives visit to pay their respects, bringing offerings such as chickens, pigs, and alcohol. During the days the body remains at home, the host invites a shaman to perform rituals to guide the soul of the deceased to the ancestral world.
Lô Lô funeral ceremonies are meticulously organized.
During the grand funeral for the deceased, the family organizes a ghost dance for three days and nights. The first and last days are the main dancing days, typically involving four couples dressed in beautiful costumes dancing in circles. Young men transform into forest spirits, wrapping themselves in forest vines to create forest spirit costumes and wearing wooden masks. Young women wear traditional costumes, with the complexity of the attire depending on the status and wealth of the host family. This is related to the belief that their ancestors dressed similarly in the past, so they need to dress accordingly for the other side to accept the deceased and start a new life in the afterlife, thus requiring a special send-off. Besides the main dancers, others also participate in the dance.
Young men will disguise themselves as tree spirits, while young women will wear truly beautiful traditional costumes.
The funeral procession is heavily attended.
Meals with the specialty of hanging meat.
The traditional wood-fired stove of ethnic minority families is always ablaze during the winter days, to keep warm in winter, to cook rice, and to make hanging meat (smoked pork). Hanging meat is a specialty dish that most ethnic minorities in Hà Giang like Tày, H'Mông, Lô Lô... have in their kitchens. The hanging meat is made from black pork. This is a breed of pig that can adapt to the harsh climate of the high mountains, raised naturally on the hills, so the meat will be very firm, with a lot of fat but crispy and fragrant. The meat used for hanging over the stove is usually pork belly and pork loin. The most difficult stage is marinating the meat. After the pork has been dried, it will be marinated with traditional spices such as: dổi seeds, mắc khén, thảo quả, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc. Then it will be hung over the stove for 15 days or more. Under the influence of the heat from the wood-fired stove and the blowing wind, the meat will gradually dry and firm up. The finished product of a good piece of smoked pork is a shiny reddish-brown surface, with the meat not separating but retaining its firmness when cut.
Meal with smoked meat and mustard greens.
Slices of tender red meat, firm fat.
When guests arrive, the locals will soak the meat in hot water to soften the skin, then stir-fry it with hot oil, adding a bit of ginger and scallions for fragrance. Hanging meat (pork hung over the stove) has a special aroma, a strong flavor of mắc khén, pepper, the lingering smell of wood smoke, the lean pork is tender yet firm, and the fat and skin are crispy.
Lung Cu may be small, but it harbors incredibly unique cultural facets of ethnic minorities. Visiting Lung Cu, visiting Lô Lô Chải village, not only offers simple yet beautiful scenery but also a distinctive cultural space for you to explore. Surely, this place will not disappoint you!
Author: Đỗ Ngọc Hoài Thu
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