Changing customs in Northern Delta’s villages from the beginning of the twentieth century to 1945

Abstract

Reorganizing the administrative apparatus, also known as the Cai Luong Huong policy, was a policy implemented by the French government in Vietnam since the early twentieth century. In the early days of their rule, the French government maintained the traditional governing apparatus in the villages. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the French government made changes in governance policy. In addition to reforming the commune-level bureaucratic apparatus, the colonialists made changes in customs and traditions in villages in many different aspects. Customs are practices and traditions that have been formed and maintained for a long time in communities, among ethnic groups or in a certain geographical area. Customs and practices express the culture, lifestyle and spiritual values ​​of a community. Because the concept of customs is broadly defined, in this article, we explore the changes in customs and traditions in villages in the Northern Delta from the early twentieth century to 1945 in the following aspects: weddings, funerals, longing for hope, longing for old age, buying and selling prestige,... Researching village customs in the Northern Delta is necessary to inherit and promote the positive aspects and avoid the limitations in building new rural areas today.