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A 108-year-old man, Quang Van Xom, passes away in the Thai ethnic minority community, located in the northern Vietnam
province of Son La, Chieng Ha commune. Funerals within the Thai ethnic community are deeply spiritual and come from
centuries on traditions.
When a person in the community passes away, the family will put photos
and belongings together so that they can pray for
their
safe passage into the spirit world. On the day of the funeral, a holy man comes to their house to take away the evil spirits
before burning them and sending them to the spirit world. After
which the friends a family gather to give their respects. Wearing
white cloths around their heads and hands symbolizes the morning of a loved one or a friend. A feast is prepared for after the
funeral and then the community will carry the body down to where they burn it.
Traditions such as family members drinking rice wine or the community forming a human floor, are to show respect to the
deceased and to give them safe passage to the spirit world.
The Ethnic Thais in Vietnam, with a population of around 1 million
people, possess a diverse culture based with their own language
and are among the 54 ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. The people of the Chieng Ha community will soon have to be relocated,
giving way for the construction of a reservoir for the $2.3 billion Son
La power plant, Vietnam's biggest hydro-power project to date.
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Ethnic Traditions 
