Who Are the K'ho?
The K'ho (Cơ Ho, also spelled Koho) are an Austro-Asiatic ethnic group of Vietnam's southern Central Highlands, numbering approximately 170,000-200,000. They speak K'ho, a Mon-Khmer language with several dialects. The K'ho inhabit Lam Dong Province, particularly the area around Da Lat, the famous highland resort city. Their territory includes some of Vietnam's prime agricultural land, including tea, coffee, and vegetable cultivation areas. The K'ho are matrilineal, with women playing central roles in family and inheritance. French colonizers developed Da Lat as a resort, and the K'ho encountered colonialism earlier and more intensively than more remote highland groups.
Matrilineal Society
K'ho society follows matrilineal descent—children belong to their mother's clan, and property passes through the female line. Upon marriage, the husband typically moves to his wife's household. Women thus remain in their natal community while men are the mobile element. This matrilineal system shapes residence patterns, inheritance, and family relationships. The senior woman in a household holds authority over domestic affairs. Traditional longhouses sheltered extended matrilineal families. While modernization has modified some practices—with nuclear families and neolocal residence becoming common—matrilineal principles continue to influence K'ho identity and social organization, distinguishing them from patrilineal Vietnamese mainstream culture.
Colonial and War Impact
Da Lat's development as a French colonial hill station brought intensive contact between K'ho and outsiders. French planters established coffee and tea estates on K'ho lands, transforming land use and labor patterns. Some K'ho became plantation workers, while others were displaced. During the Vietnam War, the Central Highlands' strategic importance brought heavy American and South Vietnamese military presence. Many K'ho were recruited or conscripted by various forces. After 1975, government suspicion of former military collaborators affected some K'ho communities. This history of colonial exploitation and wartime involvement shapes contemporary K'ho experience and memories.
Contemporary K'ho
Modern K'ho live in one of Vietnam's most developed highland regions. Da Lat's tourism industry and commercial agriculture (vegetables, flowers, coffee) have transformed the local economy. Many K'ho participate in wage labor and commercial farming. Vietnamese migration has made K'ho a minority in their homeland. Some K'ho villages near Da Lat engage in ethnic tourism, showcasing traditional culture. Protestant Christianity has spread significantly, sometimes facing government restrictions. Traditional practices persist alongside modernization. Education has expanded, with many K'ho youth attending Vietnamese schools. How the K'ho maintain cultural identity while integrating into the dynamic economy around Da Lat shapes their unique highland experience.
References
- Hickey, G. C. (1982). Free in the Forest
- Bourotte, B. (1955). Essai d'histoire des populations montagnardes du Sud-Indochinois
- Salemink, O. (2003). The Ethnography of Vietnam's Central Highlanders