Vietnam possesses a diversity of 54 ethnic people groups living in different parts of the country.  Of these, Kinh or commonly referred to as Vietnamese constitutes the majority (86% of the population). Kinh is found in almost every part of the country, especially the lowlands and deltas, and thus the predominant culture of Vietnam reflects very much the Kinh culture, which is very rich and you can experience its fullness by visiting the former capital of Vietnam in Hue where the Nguyen Emperors stayed.  For its uniqueness, Hue traditional music has been accorded by UNESCO as a World Cultural (Intangible) Heritage.   

The minority 14% of the population includes Hmong, Dao, Thai, Muong and Tay, each consisting of around a million people. Smaller ethnic groups like Lo Lo, Co Lao, Phu La, Pu Peo and Si La consist of only a few thousand people.  The ethnic minorities keep their own distinctive culture and language, and marry within their own group.  Some ethnic groups e.g. Gia-rai are maternalistic, and their women initiate the courting process and marriage.   

Many of the ethnic minorities live in the mountains and valleys, keeping their subsistence way of living by working the fields and hunting wild animals.  The ethnic minority peoples grow their own food, weave their own clothes and keep to their unique way of living which has been passed down over the years.  Unlike neighbouring countries, the ethnic minorities in Vietnam continue to wear their traditional costumes, sometimes with colourful headgear, earrings and garters.  Countless villages belonging to the ethnic minorities are found across the plains and highlands of North & Central Vietnam, and they constitute an ethnological delight.  Besides, there's no better way to understand the complex nature of ethnology than to visit the ethnic minorities, to see how they live, to understand their beliefs and customs, and to play with the children. 

One of the best ways to meet the interesting people groups of Vietnam is traveling along the North-West or North-East loop of North Vietnam.  The journey, notwithstanding the stunning scenery of high mountains and deep valleys, will open a delightful window to you as you discover the interesting different people groups, starting from the lower regions where the White Thai, Muong and Tay peoples reside in close-knitted communities next to the river bed, to the upper regions where the ethnic Hmong live in scattered huts all over mountain tops.