Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with a majority and 53 minority groups, among which the majority Kinh and the Muong belong to the Viet - Muong linguistic group and reside mainly in the plains and at the feet of mountains, with convenient geographical conditions and transport. Since the Party and State initiated the Doi moi (Renovation) process in 1986, the cultural exchange and absorption between the two communities has been increasingly promoted, with more and more Kinh - Muong marriages, that diversifies the picture of ethnic culture in Vietnam. | LINGUISTICS - LITERATURE - CULTURE Marriages between Muong and Kinh People in Vietnam Today Nguyen Thi Song Ha* Abstract: Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with a majority and 53 minority groups, among which the majority Kinh and the Muong belong to the Viet - Muong linguistic group and reside mainly in the plains and at the feet of mountains, with convenient geographical conditions and transport. Since the Party and State initiated the Doi moi (Renovation) process in 1986, the cultural exchange and absorption between the two communities has been increasingly promoted, with more and more Kinh - Muong marriages, that diversifies the picture of ethnic culture in Vietnam. Key words: Marriage; Kinh – Muong marriage; culture; cultural exchange and acculturation. 1. Introduction Ever since Vietnam embarked on the Doi moi process, the country’s ethnic minority groups have had more opportunities to expand their activities of exchange, integration and socio - economic and cultural development. During this process of broader exchanges and deeper integration, the culture of ethnic peoples has gone through constant changes, absorbing the culture of peoples residing in proximity, gradually enriching and diversifying their own cultures. Being a minority ethnic group with a significant population and a historicly close relationship with Viet (Kinh) people, Muong people have absorbed various cultural aspects of the Kinh, which is partly expressed by the increasing number of marriages between Muong people and Kinh people. This has made the already rich cultural landscape of Muong people illustrated via marriages now even more 72 diversified. With this article, the authors would like to present on the current status of marriages between Muong and Kinh people so as to provide necessary and useful materials for preserving and promoting typical cultural values of ethnic peoples, contributing to the effective establishment of new lifestyle in rural areas.* 2. Some characteristics of
