The La Chi are often considered indigenous to Vietnam.  But they disagree.  They have folklore that insists that they migrated first to the China-Vietnam borderland to escape persecution, famine and oppression.  After a sojourn near the border, a distinct migration took most into Vietnam.  One story insists that the second move was because of a dispute.  Others say that it was simply two waves of migration.  The second group could not find the marks on the banana trees and so they were separated.  At any rate, there are two main groups in Vietnam today:  the Black La Chi and the Long-Haired La Chi.  The groups have very different costume, customs and language.  

      The La Chi in China, despite their small numbers, have an additional four subgroups.  They call themselves Lipu, which may mean that they are related to the Lipo tribe in China's northern Yunnan and southern Sichuan.

 

 

 

     The history of the La Chi has been one of persecution, hardship and oppression until the present day.  They claim two legendary founders of their tribe, Hoang Din Thung and Pu Lo To.  These two were fabled to have created species of living things and to have taught the people how to farm and do the other tasks they need to live.