Minorities People

Tho Ethnic Group

History - Geography of the Tho Ethnic Group

The Tho people are one of the four ethnic groups belonging to the Viet-Muong linguistic group. Their current residential areas are mainly in the midland and mountainous regions of Nghe An Province, at the intersection of migration streams.

Historical Origins: Nearly 4,000 years ago, a part of the ancient Vietnamese people lived in the midland and mountainous regions of Nghe An Province, with some in Thanh Hoa Province. Over time, a group migrated to the plains, gradually becoming the Vietnamese people, while others remained in their original settlements, evolving into the present-day Tho ethnic group.

Alternative Names: Nhà Làng, K?o, M?n, Cu?i, H?, ?an Lai, Ly Hà, Tày P?ng, Con Kha, Xá Lá Vàng...

Geographical Distribution: The Tho people reside in the midland and mountainous areas of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces. Their current residential areas are at the crossroads of migration streams from north to south and vice versa, where migrants from various regions have integrated to form a cohesive Tho ethnic community.

The Tho Ethnic Group comprises several local groups:

• Tho Mon: Mostly originating from the Muong people, residing in mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa Province and some communes in Nghia Dan, Tan Ky, and Quy Hop districts of Nghe An Province.
• Tho K?o (K?o): Primarily living in Nghia Quang commune, Thai Hoa town, Nghe An Province.
• Tho Lam La: Concentrated in communes of the former Lam La district, Nghia Dan district, Nghe An Province.
• Tho Cu?i: Residing in Nghia Quang commune, Thai Hoa town, Nghe An Province.
• Tay Poong: Concentrated in Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An Province.
• Dan Lai - Ly Ha: Residing in some communes of Con Cuong district, Nghe An Province. Additionally, they have other names such as Tho Giai Xuan, Con Kha, H?. Previously, a group of Tho people were also referred to as "Xá Lá Vàng," which was a collective term for the most unstable migrant communities.

Population, Language: Population: According to the 2019 Census of 54 ethnic minority groups, the Tho ethnic group has a population of 91,430 individuals (47,019 males, 44,411 females), ranking 23rd among the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Language: Vietnamese, Tho language, belonging to the Viet-Muong language group within the Austroasiatic language family.