Si La people
The Si La people with their distinctive clothing. | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Vietnam 909 (2019)[1] Laos 3,151 (2015)[2] | |
| Languages | |
| Sila, Vietnamese, Lao, others | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional religion/ancestor worship, Buddhism, Christianity |
The Si La (also Sila or Syla) are an ethnic group of about 3,151 people living in northern Laos and another 600 living in two villages: Nậm Sin and Seo Hay of Lai Châu Province, Northwest region, Vietnam.[3][4] In Vietnam, the Si La people are recognized as one of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, with a population of 909 according to the 2019 census.[5][6]
Culture
The Si La people speak a Tibeto-Burman language closely related to Hani (Edmondson 2002). Their primary occupation is the cultivation of cereals, augmented by hunting and foraging. One of the most distinctive Si La customs is tooth painting: men traditionally painted their teeth red, while women painted theirs black. The custom is increasingly uncommon among the younger generation.
References
- ^ "Report on Results of the 2019 Census". General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Results of Population and Housing Census 2015" (PDF). Lao Statistics Bureau. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Si La ethnic minority group". special.nhandan.vn. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
- ^ btt1965 (2020-09-15). "The SI LA Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam". The Holy Land of Vietnam Studies. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.gso.gov.vn. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-10-06. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Thông tin tổng hợp". www.chinhphu.vn. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2025-12-30.