VIETNAM ACADEMY OF
SOCIAL SCIENCE
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

NGUYEN THE ANH

LIVELIHOODS OF MUONG PEOPLE IN
CAM LUONG COMMUNE, CAM THUY
DISTRICT, THANH HOA PROVINCE TODAY
Speciality: Anthropology
Reference: 9 31 03 02

ANTHROPOLOGY DOCTORAL THESIS

HANOI - 2019


The work has been completed at:
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Science Instructor: 1. Assoc.Plof. Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh
2. Assoc. Plof. Dr. Tran Van Thuc
Reviewer 1: Plof. Dr. Nguyen Chi Ben

Reviewer 2: Assoc. Plof. Dr. Khong Dien

Reviewer 3: Assoc. Plof. Dr. Bui Van Dao

The thesis is defense against the Doctoral Thesis
Council, held at the Institute of Social Science
At …:.., date .../.../2019

Nguyen The Anh (2016), “Impact of Program 135 on the livelihood
of Muong people in Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province”, Social
Science Information Review, No 406, page 42-48.

5.

Nguyen The Anh (2018), “Impact of population and ethnic
factors on the livelihood of Muong people in Thanh Hoa”, Art
and Culture Review, No 406, page 14-18.


INTRODUCTION
1. The emergency of the topic
1.1. Livelihoods (means of living) of resident communities and
ethnic groups are familiar topics of Ethnology/Anthropology.
Livelihoods show human’s adaptation to the living environment;
reflect the social relations in production; are the basis for forming the
customs, beliefs, psychology, and personality of the resident
community. Livelihood is a top important factor of ethnic culture.
Livelihood research plays an important role in studying ethnic groups
and resident communities.
1.2. The mountain valleys in Son La, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh and
Thanh Hoa provinces, where the Muong people live, have a very
diverse topography, so their livelihoods are very distinctly different,
and should be studied in order to see the diversity of livelihoods as
well as ethnic culture.
Cam Luong is one of the highland communes of Cam Thuy
district, Thanh Hoa province, where Muong people, who have been
living for a long time, making a living mainly by cultivating rice
fields, are the majority. Since the implementation of Doi Moi, thanks

- To collect materials related to the current livelihood activities
of Muong people in Cam Luong commune, including agriculture,
handicrafts, types of services.
- To interpret the aspects related to current livelihood activities
of Muong people in the study area. These are the forms of livelihoods
(agriculture, handicraft, trade - service) associated with the livelihood
capital, the factors affecting livelihoods and the impact of livelihoods
on life aspects of Muong people.
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- To state some issues raised for the current livelihood of Muong
people in Cam Luong commune, creating a scientific basis for the
Party Committee and local authorities to consult in proposing socioeconomic development solutions towards sustainability in terms of
market economy development, industrialization, modernization and
integration.
3. Research objects and scope
3.1. Research objects
The research object of the thesis is the current forms of
livelihood associated with the living environment of Muong people in
Cam Luong commune, as mentioned in 2, section 2. 2 above.
3.2. Research scope
The thesis researches in villages of Cam Luong commune, in
which, two villages have been focused on researching more is Luong
Thuan - the village which has many positive and outstanding changes
in crop and village restructuring, and Luong Ngoc - the place with a
famous Fish Stream, which has shifted to tourist services for many
years.
The thesis researches livelihoods of Muong people today;
materials and data on livelihoods collected mainly in the years of

situation of people in comparison with traditional factors, the
relationship between livelihoods and natural, social and cultural
conditions
The thesis presents scientific arguments for the Party
Committee, authorities of Cam Luong commune, related departments
in Cam Thuy district and Thanh Hoa province to propose policies and
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solutions to help Muong people develop their potentials, strength,
overcome the limitations and weaknesses of current livelihood
activities, especially the development of tourism in the Fish Stream
area, for Cam Luong commune to develop economy and society
towards sustainability.
6. The theoretical and practical significance of the thesis
The thesis contributes materials to theorical and practical study
of livelihoods in general and the livelihoods of Muong people in
particular, supporting research and teaching on this topic; at the same
time, creates a scientific basis for the Party Committee and
authorities of Cam Luong commune, related departments in Thanh
Hoa and Cam Thuy district, to propose solutions to help Muong
people in Cam Luong commune develop in a sustainable way.
7. Structure of the thesis
Besides Introduction, Conclusion, Reference, the thesis content is
divided into 4 chapters:

Chapter 1. Overview of research situation, theoretical basis and
introduction of Muong people in the research area
Chapter 2. Livelihood activities of producing and exploiting
natural products

Nguyen Tu Chi, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Quach
Thi Oanh, Tran Dang Tuan, Luong Thu Hang ... The livelihood topics
presented are paddy fields, upland fields agriculture, handicrafts, gathering,
hunting, fishing, ownership, management and usage of land; livelihood
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changes in the context of market mechanisms, hydropowerization;
livelihood of young people ...
Muong people and the Muong people's livelihoods in Thanh Hoa
province were studied through the works of Vuong Anh, Hoang Anh Nhan,
Cao Son Hai, Ngo Hoai Chung, Minh Hieu, Mai Van Tung, Trinh Hong Le,
and in the Thanh Hoa Monography, some monographys of the districts…
Muong people in Cam Luong commune are mentioned in the
graduation thesis by Pham Thi Ly on poverty and poverty reduction
solutions; the thesis Mương Livelihoods and the Role of Education in Their
Development: A case study of a Mương Community in CamThuy District,
Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam by Nguyen, Viet Duc defense at Victoria
University (Welliinton, Newzeeland), 2013, referring to the livelihood and
its impact on the education of the Muong community in this district.
In general, until now, research works on Muong people and Muong
people's livelihoods in Thanh Hoa are not many. This thesis hopes to
overcome the above limitation.
1.2. The theoretical basis of the thesis
1.2.1. Basic concepts
The thesis presents the origins and intents of the concepts used:
"Livelihoods", "Traditional livelihoods", "Current livelihoods", "Livelihood
resources", "Sustainable livelihoods", "Sustainable Development".
1.2.2. Theoretical basis
Theory of livelihoods and sustainable livelihood framework

commune and in comparison with Muong people in Hoa Binh.
End of Chapter 1.

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Chapter 2
LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES OF PRODUCING
AND EXPLOITING NATURAL PRODUCTS

2.1. Capital sources for livelihood activities of production and
natural product exploitation
The thesis analyzes five capital sources related to livelihood
activities of production and natural products exploitation of Muong
people in Cam Luong commune, including natural capital (section
2.1.1), physical capital (section 2.1.2 .), financial capital (section 2.1.3.),
social capital (section 2.1.4.) and human capital (2.1.5.) in relation to
natural conditions, infrastructure, social institutions and social
relationships, human characteristics.
2.2. Agriculture

Agriculture is the main livelihood activity of Muong people in
Cam Luong commune in the past, in which cultivation is the largest part,
animal husbandry accounts for a small proportion and depends on
cultivation. Today, cultivation has changed drastically. High-yield plant
varieties are put into cultivation, especially sugarcane in Luong Thuan
and Luong Hoa villages, some gardening models are effective.
Cultivation techniques also have changes in soil preparation, caring and
harvesting stages, thanks to soil preparation machines, harvester, and
chemical fertilizers. As a result, food security is ensured and redundant,

fabrics. In general, handicrafts do not develop, due to unfavorable
natural conditions, residents are accustomed to living on agriculture and
forest and mountain products exploitation, the market of handicraft
products is very limited.
From 2005 onwards, Muong young and middle-aged people learn
carpentry and construction craft, forming top carpenters and builders for
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works; a large number of young workers work in industrial parks; some
well-off people register for labor export.
End of Chapter 2.

Chapter 3
SERVICE ACTIVITIES

3.1. Capital sources for service activities
The thesis re-considers the natural and social conditions affecting
the creation of capital for service activities (natural capital, physical
capital, financial capital, social capital and human capital), to serve as
a basis for analyzing service activities of Muong people today.
3.2. Overview of service activities in Cam Luong commune
today
The thesis provides statistics on the number of households doing
services in Cam Luong commune in 2017, thereby giving some
comments:
- The number of households participating in service activities is too
small, only 64/769 households of the whole commune (equal to 0.82%);
reflecting the economic slowdown in general, the underdevelopment of
service activities in particular in each village as well as in Cam Luong

3.3. Tourist service activities in Cam Luong Fish Stream
3.3.1. Objective premises for the formation of tourist services
activities and Fish Stream Tourist Resorts
The premise for the formation of tourist service activities is the
innovation in awareness of economic development, economic
restructuring, focusing on trade and service development, especially
tourism, which are affirmed step by step through the National Party
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Congresses, applied and concretized by localities to their conditions. In
Cam Luong commune, tourism was formed when the "Divine Fish
Stream" in Luong Ngoc village was introduced on VTV3 of Vietnam
Television and gradually expanded.
3.3.2. First forms of tourist services
The first forms of tourist services carried out by Muong people in
Luong Ngoc village are carrying passengers across the Ma River by
ferry. Their remuneration is very low, because all revenues from
passengers are managed by the Commune People's Committee. The
ferry service ended in September 2005, when the suspension bridge over
the Ma River in Kim Mam village was completed.
Aside from carrying boats, there is also a "motorbike taxi" service,
bringing passengers from the wharf (from September 2005 changes to
the suspension bridge) to the Fish Stream area. This service ended in
2016, when Cam Thuy District Transport Enterprise put 12-seat electric
vehicles carrying passenger from suspension bridge to service.
In the Fish Stream area, there are car and motorbike parking
services, from spontaneous families, to the formation of a parking lot
managed by the Commune People's Committee, and from 2008, by the
District Transport Enterprise. Besides, the services of selling soft drinks,

form of Luong Ngoc Village Photography Club, established in 2014.
Products associated with types of tourist services are quite diverse,
including:
- Foods and drinks
- Products that are both utensils and souvenirs, which are mainly
brocade, plow, chopsticks.

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- Traditional utensils which are newly produced such as crossbows,
plows (fine art), old household items (copper pots, copper gongs) are
mainly used as souvenirs.
- Products exploited from the wild such as orchids, ornamental
birds, crops of food value (Dioscorea hamiltonii), food (vegetables,
mushrooms ...), types of plants and roots used as medicine...
- Cultivated products including specialty rice, processed food
products (baked rice stuffed in bamboo tube, baked corn, boiled corn),
banana used to soak in alcohol; or livestock products (pork, fish, ducks) ...
- Products that newly appear are art stones or feng shui stones, planted
orchids, discs - video tapes or artwork photos (large format) on Cam Luong
Fish Stream area, types of photo frames, house on stilts model...
- Cave tour guide service, organized by some of young people.
End of Chapter 3.
Chapter 4
SOME DISCUSSIONS
FROM THE CURRENT LIVELIHOOD RESEARCH
OF MUONG PEOPLE IN CAM LUONG COMMUNE

4.1. Assessment of livelihood changes of Muong people in Cam

corn, rice, sugarcane varieties, chicken, buffalo, cross-bred cow, goat ...
- Increase in the goods value of crops and livestock products.
- Revenues from tourist service activities are relatively high and
more stable than agricultural production.
2. Economic thinking changes. A majority of households focus on
cultivation and animal husbandry to create commodity products for the
market. Many households currently do not work in agriculture but rent
out their fields and switch to service business. Not only in Luong Ngoc
village - where there are vibrant service activities, but also in other
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villages, there are a large number of household heads who are no longer
"sticking to the middle of the village", but have formed consciousness to
move out to roadside for production and business; roadside land is
increasingly valuable, especially in Luong Ngoc village. The
phenomenon of renting out land in this village, especially roadside land,
in the area of Fish Stream area, which appeared a few years ago, tends to
increase. Even siblings have to rent each other's land, because this
creates a certain source of revenue. Many old people also want to
participate in service activities.
3. Production and services develops, which creates a much higher
income than 20 years ago, improving the lives of families, not only the
food and clothing, but also the repair and construction of permanent
houses, the purchase of modern appliances and equipment, especially in
Luong Ngoc village - the village which has tourist services, and two
villages of Luong Hoa and Luong Thuan which grow sugarcane. The
rate of poor households decreases rapidly.
Economic growth creates good financial resources, combined with
the commune's capital sources, helps Muong people to organize cultural

2. The economic development models and projects approaching
Muong people and Cam Luong communes are many, but there are no
projects, models which are really sustainable, there are even "premature
death" model. The basic reason is not thoroughly investigating the
residents’ ability to acquire techniques. Some plant projects require very
high technology, strictly following the technical process, while most
Muong people are familiar with the techniques of the natural economy,
so they cannot adapt. Some projects are "imposed their strict term" by
Party A, which is detrimental, causing great damage to growers,
3. The natural nature of traditional economic thinking is bold. Each
family when raising - growing a kind of pet or plant often "follow the
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crowd", they have little calculation of reasonableness, so the efficiency
is not commensurate with the investment. The economy of the majority
of families, as well as the whole commune, is not stable, the efficiency
is not high, the factors attracting the development of the community are
not much.
Tourist service activities form spontaneously, laborers who work in
tourism are originally farmers, they are not trained in professional skills
amd not yet oriented, so in general, "sell what they see, sell what they
have", tourist goods and products are monotonous. Many products are
not standard. Hawking and soliciting often happens.
4.1.3. Viewing livelihood changes from an Ethnographic/
Anthropological perspective
The issues presented in this chapters show that the current
livelihood of Muong people, as well as most ethnic groups and
communities of dependent pre-industrial societies, have a relationship
with many factors. They are natural and residential conditions; political

village) is completed in 2019, production will be unstable, an important
source of income will be lost, while career change is very difficult.
Tourism development has brought many positive aspects, but also
drag along many consequences, such as increasing the gap in income,
the gap between the rich and the poor, leading to the disagreement in the
community of residents, between households participating in tourist
service and non-participating households, and also those who do tourism
in Luong Ngoc village, between residents and authorities. Quality of
tourism services is low. In the future, when the commune transportation
system is strengthened, tourists coming to Cam Luong, with Fish Stream
being very crowded, posing challenges to security, order saving, and to

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sustainability of tourism, associated with the "survival" of the Fish
Stream.
4.3. Some proposals and recommendations from the study of
livelihoods of Muong people in Cam Luong commune today
4.3.1. The basis of the recommendations
The scientific basis of the recommendations is the sustainable
development of ethnic groups and resident communities based on 5
development axes, in which the economic axis is the essential material
content of society. The livelihoods are the basic content of the economic
axis; at the same time, it is one of the four elements of ethnic culture,
have a close relationship with other elements.
The scientific basis of the recommendations is also the position of
each economic unit or each livelihood of Muong people in Cam Luong
commune today including agriculture (cultivation, livestock), forestry
and tourist service.

difficult communes of Cam Thuy district, whose terrain is surrounded
by three sides of rock mountains and low hills, the remaining side is Ma
river, whose climate is harsh, and rice fields are very few. Therefore, the
traditional livelihood - economic aspect of Muong people is a
"combination" of agriculture (single-crop paddy rice and upland field),
exploitation of natural products (gathering and hunting), family crafts
(weaving and knitting). Agriculture, occupying a dominant position,
consists of cultivation and animal husbandry; in which, cultivation of
paddy rice fields is the main activity, supplemented by crops in the
fields and along the Ma river, and animal husbandry depends on
cultivation. It is a natural economy (based on the nature and heavily
dependent on nature), with low and precarious animal and plant
productivity, products of the components that constitute the economic
complex almost do not carry any value of goods, but are mainly to serve
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