Name of Ethnic Group: Pu Peo (Ka Beo, Penti, and Lo Lo).
Population: About 400 people.
Locality: The Pu Peo are concentrated along
the Sino-Vietnamese border in Dong Van, Yen Minh, and Meo Vac Districts
of Ha Giang Province.
Customs and Habits: Houses are usually built on
the ground in tiny clusters be side a Hoa or H'Mong village. Each family
lineage has its own system of middle names. Pu Peo society follows a
patriarchal system, as the father or husband has the right to own the
house. The Pu Peo attach great importance to ancestral worship. Small
earthen jars, each symbolizing a generation, are often placed on their
altar.
Culture: The Pu Peo language resembles that of the Co
Lao, La Chi and La Ha, and belongs to the Kadai Group. The Pu Peo hold
ceremonies to pray for peace and the beginning of the new working season.
This particular ceremony is held during the New Year in the first half
of the first lunar month, and continues to the fifth day of the fifth
lunar month. The Pu Peo are one of few ethnic groups still using bronze
drums. In Pu Peo custom, male and female drums sets exist.
Costumes: The attire of Pu Peo women still
maintain their vibrant colours as pieces of different coloured cloths
are sewn to make colourful designs. They wear scarves, skirts, vests,
and aprons.The men, however, dress like other ethnic groups in the region.
Economy: The Pu Peo farm on burned land and terraced
fields, growing maize, rice, rye, and beans. Their farm tools include
ploughs and harrows. They use buffaloes and oxen to serve as draught
animals. Their staple food is steam cooked corn flour.