National Consciousness in Some Ethnic Groups’ Perception of Vietnamese Territory in the Border Area of Ha Giang Province

Abstract

Using fieldwork data from 2021 and 2022, the article contributes to clarifying the national consciousness reflected through the perception of the national territory of the ethnic groups Hmong, Tay, Nung, and Lo Lo in four border communes of Ha Giang province today, which are Lao Chai and Thanh Thuy communes of Vi Xuyen district, Lung Cu commune of Dong Van district, and Phu Lung commune of Yen Minh district. The research results show that most people have a certain awareness of the territorial border of the locality where they live, the territory of the country, and the characteristics of the population and ethnicities of Vietnam. This awareness has increasingly been raised thanks to the development of the local education and communication systems, the increasing exchange between ethnic groups in the border areas and residents of other provinces in the country, and the border management policies of Vietnam and China.