*Other Names: Puoc, Pua.

*Residency: Located in the border regions between Vietnam and Laos, specifically in the provinces of Son La and Lai Chau.

*Population: The Xinh Mun ethnic group comprises over 10,000 people.

*Language: The Xinh Mun language belongs to the Mon-Khmer language family.

*Economy: The Xinh Mun people primarily rely on slash-and-burn agriculture, cultivating mainly glutinous rice and corn. They use various methods for farming, including drilling holes for seeds, using hoes, and plowing. Some areas have irrigated fields. Historically, they raised cattle, goats, and pigs, allowing them to roam freely; however, many communities have now built separate pens for their livestock. Foraging and hunting also play a significant role in their livelihood. Craftsmanship in weaving is well-developed, with high-quality and durable woven goods often traded with the Thai and Lao for clothing and metal items. The Xinh Mun people have traditions of betel chewing, blackening their teeth, drinking rice wine, and favoring spicy foods.

*Customs: Historically, the Xinh Mun practiced shifting cultivation and a nomadic lifestyle. Today, they have settled into stable and densely populated villages. Most Xinh Mun people have the surnames Lo and Vi, each with its own specific taboos. Children inherit their father's surname. Within the family, when the father dies, the eldest son assumes a crucial role.

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*Housing: The Xinh Mun people live in stilt houses with roofs shaped like a tortoise shell, featuring two ladders at the ends of the house.

*Marriage: In Xinh Mun marriage customs, the groom's family must pay a bride price to the bride's family. After the initial engagement and betrothal ceremonies, the groom traditionally lives with the bride's family for a few years, until the couple has several children, before bringing the bride to his own home. From the time they move in together, the couple must adopt a new shared name assigned by the maternal uncle, the bride's parents, or a shaman. Xinh Mun women typically give birth at home, and when the child is nearing one month old, the parents consult a shaman to name the child.

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*Funeral Customs: When a Xinh Mun person dies, the family fires a gun to notify the village. The Xinh Mun people do not practice reburial or grave cleaning.

*Rituals and Worship: The Xinh Mun honor their ancestors from two generations by creating a separate shrine, but ceremonies are only held when building a new house, preparing new rice, or during weddings, among other significant events. Deceased parents are worshipped in a small single-roofed structure near the main house. In agricultural practices, there are numerous rituals and taboos. The village holds an annual communal ritual to honor the village spirits and address any unusual deaths. The Xinh Mun also participate in the annual Mường ceremonies conducted by the Thai people in the region

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Translated by Huyen Vu