E3. MULTIPLE CHOICE – THE CHAM PEOPLE
The Cham are an ethnic group in Vietnam. Their population is about 180,000 people (2019). They mainly live in Central and Southern Vietnam, in provinces such as Ninh Thuan and An Giang.
The Chăm are very talented at making crafts. The Cham in Ninh Thuận are especially famous for their pottery products. They make everything by hand. The Cham women make pottery, and the men help them by collecting wood.
The Cham in An Giang, on the other hand, make beautiful cloth. The cloth has traditional patterns such as squares, clouds, flowers, etc. A special piece of cloth can take up to 15 days to make. An experienced Chăm woman can make enough cloth for one simple skirt each day.
The Cham wear simple but pretty clothesBoth men and women wear long skirts with shirts. In Central Vietnam, Chăm men wear white headscarves. The women wear long shirts, similar to áo dài, and belts over their shoulders and across their bodiesIn Southern Vietnam, Cham men wear hats instead of scarves, and the women cover their hair with long scarves.
