Originally, Nung ethnic group started to emigrate to Vietnam from Quang Xi about 200 or 300 years ago. Althrough Nung people specilize in working on fields so they are not able to settle down in flat areas. Otherwises , they plan some more vegetables.
In addition to hardlife in mountainous areas, Nung ethnic group are really good at making handicrafts stuff such as : brocade, black smith, sewing, producing paper, producing yin yang rooftile... They keep doing these authentic professions in their free time to serve local needs. One of which, we should mention about black smith in Phuc Sen commune, Cao Bang province that nowaday, one person in each family at least, knows how to start up this traditional job.
Unlike citizens, Nung peopple try out to go shopping to get mutual daily exchanges . Young people like to go shopping for many reasons but they take these chances to meet new faces, new partners , especially, Nung Phan Slinh love singing
Cuisine: Nung people are keen on eating corns. People take cornpowder to cook condensed corn congee but they do not like boiling stuff, just frying, stir fried or some people do not eat buffallo meat, dog meat.
Costums : seem basic, home – made garments , dyed in indigo colours.
Accomodations : mainly living in the North East of Vietnam, side by side with Tay ethnic group. Originally, they live on stilt houses with very thick walls or authentic bricks. Long ago, people live in side these stylish houses such like they want to hold the fort to save the family from being robbery
Transportation : authentic modes such like carrying, taking or some locations people use the animal carts to carry heavy stuff in daily life.
Public relations : Before August revolutions, both landlords and famers were easily remarkable in Nung’s society
Young people have freedom to understand each other. As falling in love, young man give their darling the small gifts such as : small bamboo basket, or bamboo sticks... meanwhile young girls had man – made shirts and brocade bags for their right persons.
The last decisions belong to their parents that two sides have equal conditions. The bride side ask for wine, rice and cash. The more the girl’s side ask for, the value of the girl becomes higher. The wedding process has plenty of rites, especially bring the bride to her future husband. On the other hands, the bride stay in her parents’ family until the newly - weded couple have baby , so they decide to go back husband family .
Birth events : Nung people worship for Mu Lady who is in charge of Baby ceremony , eventually they put the name for the baby until they get older.
Spiritual life : The main purpose is to lead the sould to their world
New house : It is very important to choose the land, to organize the directions with the hopes of welcoming prosperity and happy life.
Ancestor worship : mainly worship for ancestors. The ancestors’altar is well - organized with the paralel written by their roots. Otherwise, they also worship for god of land, Bodisattva , Mu Lady, ghosts, and they pray for them when it is unlucky conditions such as diseasess, climate changes....Unlike Tay ethnic group, Nung people hold birthday but not to make death ceremony.
Nung ethnic people organize their Tet holiday like Viet and Tay people because they have moon calendar - the calender that we observe agricutural weather. They use Nom – Chinese characters writing , reading Nung and Tay language system based on Latin Alphabet. In daily life, Nung people love to sing Sli to share their feeling with their partners. This style of singing , Sli, used for festivals, holidays or sometimes on vehicles.