A Cho Ro house.
The
Cho Ro have a population of more than 15,000, a large part of
them settled in Dong Nai province and the rest in Binh Thuan and
Song Be provinces. They are also called Do-ro. The Cho Ro language
belongs to the Mon-Khmer Group, close to the Ma and the Xtieng
languages.
In the past, the Cho Ro mainly practised slash-and-bum
agriculture. They lived a poor and unstable life. Later, they
turned burnt-over land into stable cultivable land and in certain
places, rice cultivation in submerged fields was developed. Thanks
to this, the life of the Cho Ro has been improved. Animal husbandry,
hunting, gathering and fishing play an important role in Cho Ro
daily life. Basketry and wood carving are their main sideline
occupations.
Cho Ro women once wore jupes, the men, loincloths
and a shirt pulled over their heads. In winter they covered with
a blanket. Of late they have adopted the Kinh style of dress.
They are easily recognized however because of the baskets they
still carry on their backs and the jewellary worn by the women
- necklaces and bracelets made from copper, silver or beads.
Rehearsing traditional art performances.
The Cho Ro used to live in houses on stilts with
access to the floor by a ladder placed at one end of the house.
In recent decades, they have become familiar with living in houses
built on the ground. The interior is simple with some gongs and
jars which are considered of value. In recent years, many families
have bought their bikes.
Both patrilineal and matriarchal customs are
significant in Cho Ro family life. In marriage, though the family
of the man proposes marriage, the wedding ceremony is always organized
at the bride's house. The man has to come to live in his wife's
house for several years, then they will live in their own separate
house.
The Cho Ro bury their dead according to traditional
customs. The coffin is a hollowed-out tree trunk. The grave is
topped by a semicircular tumulus. Three days after the burial,
the ceremony of opening the grave takes place.
The Cho Ro believe that all things have souls
and that the spirits have an invisible control over man, which
forces him to worship. Most important are the rituals of worshipping
the souls of the forest and the rice.
Cho Ro culture is very diverse. Musical instruments
comprise a set of seven-pattern gongs, string instruments with
bamboo sound-box and alternating songs.
