Ethnic Group Co Ho

Name of ethnic group: Co Ho (Xre, Nop, Co lon, Chil, Lat and Tring)

Population: 128,723 people (Year 1999)

Locality: Di Linh Plateau of Lam Dong Province.

Customs and habits: The young Co Ho women play an active role in marriage. Monogamy is practiced in Co Ho society. After the wedding, the groom comes to live with his wife’s family. The Co Ho believes in the existence of many deities including the sun, moon, mountain, river, earth, and rice.

Culture: Co Ho language belongs to the Mon-Khmer Group. The Co Ho possesses an abundant wealth of folklore and culture. The verses of their lyrical poems, called Tampla, sound very romantic. They have many traditional dances to perform at festivals and ceremonies. Their instruments include gongs, dear-skin drums, bamboo flutes, box pan-pipes, lip organs, and six-stringed zithers.

Economy: The Co Ho cultivates rice through burning the land and submerging their fields.