Introduction / History Ngai people are originally from Guangxi, China, and some of them migrated south into Vietnam. Ngai people have never considered themselves Hakka. Because no one, including Chinese people, knows how to categorize the Ngai people, they were simply categorized as Hakka. However, the Hakka language is not similar to the Ngai language.
Where are they located? A few Ngai people live in Canada, Australia and the United States. In the U.S. you can find most Ngai people settled in Sacramento and Los Angeles County. In Vietnam, most Ngai people live in Dong Nai Province and Saigon and a few of them live elsewhere in Vietnam.
What are their lives like? Most Ngai people are farmers. They also make their living through fishing, including crabs, shellfish and turtles. They celebrate lunar New Year and moon day festivals. During the holiday they have a lion dance and a dragon dance, eat moon cakes and light firecrackers.
What are their beliefs? Their religion is ancestor worship. They also worship Tin Hau, a goddess to fishermen. They venerate spirits from the sea, including a mythical dragon.
References Some information from "The Peoples of Vietnam" by Asian Minorities Outreach, 1998.
Mekong river delta area, Soc Trang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Dong Nai, and Kien Giang provinces; Ho Chi Minh, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong cities; north Viet Nam-China border regions. (Source: Ethnologue 2016)