The Central Highlands of Vietnam is home to a vibrant array of ethnic minority groups, most of whom are indigenous peoples. These communities often follow matrilineal traditions, value communal living, and observe intricate burial rituals. Over centuries, their cultures have demonstrated remarkable resilience against external influences.

Historical Influence
Christianity made significant inroads into the Central Highlands, with Catholic missionaries establishing a mission in Kon Tum in the mid-19th century. Protestantism followed in the early 20th century. These religious movements, combined with strong Vietnamese influence and the upheavals of the American War, deeply affected the region. Despite these pressures, the region’s cultures have maintained their distinct identities. However, the growing migration of lowland Vietnamese and northern minorities into the Highlands for coffee plantation development is challenging the preservation of these traditions.

Bahnar (Ba Na)

  • Population: 170,000
  • Location: Kon Tum

The Bahnar trace their origins to ancient communities that coexisted with the Cham and Jarai on the coastal plains. The village’s focal point is the rong, a towering communal house with a roof up to 20 meters high, serving as a hub for cultural and ceremonial life.

Bahnar houses are built on stilts, featuring thatched or tiled roofs, and are often adorned with geometric patterns. Skilled horticulturalists, the Bahnar grow crops like maize, millet, and sweet potatoes, alongside cash crops like indigo and tobacco.

Funeral houses with intricate carvings are erected for the deceased. These structures, though less grand than the Jarai’s, hold significant cultural importance, with offerings such as wooden statues, gongs, and family heirlooms placed inside after burial.

E De

  • Population: 270,000
  • Location: Dak Lak

The E De reside in boat-shaped longhouses, some reaching 100 meters in length, housing up to 100 family members. These houses reflect their matrilineal society, where women hold authority over property and family assets, including ceremonial gongs and prized earthenware jars for rice wine production.

Their animist beliefs include worship of the kings of Fire and Water and various spirits. Funeral houses and longhouses alike are often adorned with carvings. The E De’s ancestral lands, rich in red soil, have been heavily exploited for coffee and rubber plantations, disrupting their traditional swidden farming practices.

Jarai (Gia Rai)

  • Population: 300,000
  • Location: Gia Lai

As the largest ethnic group in the Central Highlands, the Jarai have matrilineal traditions where marriage proposals are initiated by women, and children take their mother’s surname. The rong serves as the communal hub for cultural and decision-making activities.

The Jarai maintain strong animist beliefs, venerating spirits such as the kings of Water, Fire, and Wind. Their funeral customs are elaborate, with family burial sites marked by intricately carved statues and symbolic objects. Unique to their culture is the k’long put, a bamboo musical instrument played by clapping air into the tubes.

Koho (Co Ho) and Lat

  • Population: 130,000
  • Location: Da Lat

The Koho are subdivided into diverse groups, including the Lat, known for their advanced irrigation systems. Koho houses are stilted with bamboo walls and roofs, reflecting their integration of spirit worship and Christianity. Dance plays a vital role in their religious ceremonies, accompanied by instruments like gongs and flutes.

Subgroups excel in pottery and metalwork, with Lat farmers gaining recognition for their agricultural innovations.

Mnong

  • Population: 90,000
  • Location: Dak Lak, Da Lat

The Mnong are renowned for their expertise in elephant domestication and for creating the lithophone, one of the world’s oldest musical instruments. Their houses are built at ground level, and their society, while matrilineal, is governed by male village chiefs.

Skilled artisans, Mnong craftspeople produce baskets, textiles, and jewelry. Their funerary traditions involve buffalo-shaped coffins adorned with statues and colorful designs.

Sedang (Xo Dang)

  • Population: 130,000
  • Location: Kon Tum

Historically a warlike group, the Sedang lived in fortified villages and engaged in inter-village conflicts. Early Sedang rituals included human sacrifices, later replaced by a trade in slaves.

Sedang villages are organized around longhouses and communal structures where ceremonies are held. The group’s agricultural practices include swidden farming and hunting. Despite their historical resilience, many Sedang were displaced during the American War and now face challenges in reclaiming their ancestral lands.

Vietnam’s Real-Life Kurtz

The Sedang are linked to one of Vietnam’s most eccentric colonial stories. Marie-David de Mayréna, a French adventurer, proclaimed himself King of the Sedang in 1888. Establishing a brief reign from a straw hut, Mayréna created laws, assembled an army, and even declared war on neighboring tribes.

Mayréna’s motives, however, were financial. After fleeing to Europe and selling fraudulent titles, he returned to Southeast Asia, where he died in 1890 on Tioman Island, allegedly from a snake bite. His peculiar story is reminiscent of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and its film adaptation, Apocalypse Now.

This rich cultural tapestry of Vietnam’s Central Highlands continues to intrigue and inspire, offering a glimpse into ancient traditions shaped by resilience and adaptation. However, modern challenges pose pressing questions about the preservation of these unique identities.