THO

WINNING CONDITIONS

In addition to owning 1 Golden Star badge (earned by winning a Challenge round), the player must successfully travel to and place their colored token on all of the following provinces/cities by correctly answering the corresponding question cards:

• Nghệ An and Thanh Hóa Provinces

• 1 province in the North Central Coast with a Group 2 tile

• 1 province in the North Central Coast with a Group 4 tile

• 1 province in the North Central Coast with a Group 5 tile

• 1 province in the Northern Midlands and Mountains or Red River Delta with a Group 4 tile

• 1 province in the Central Highlands or Mekong Delta with a Group 5 tile

  
  

SPECIAL PRIVILEGE

If a player lands on a province/city within the traditional region of the ethnic group they represent, they receive a special privilege (usable only once during the game):

• Confiscate 2 province/city flags from another player and return them to the bank, OR

• Convert 1 province/city flag owned by another player into their own.

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ETHNIC GROUP INFORMATION

History: Their ancestors have lived in the midland and mountainous areas of Nghệ An and Thanh Hóa for over 4,000 years. Some migrated to the lowlands and gradually became part of the ethnic Vietnamese population, while those who remained formed what is now the Thổ ethnic group.

Traditional Social Structure:

• Administrative unit: The smallest is the village (xóm), headed by a village chief.

• Residential patterns: Subgroups such as Tày Poọng and Đan Lai typically live in bản or bán, situated in elevated areas near water sources.

  
  

Religious Beliefs and Practices:

The Thổ believe in animism and practice ancestor worship, alongside veneration of various spirits such as: Land Deity (Thổ Công), Kitchen God, Earth God, Village Guardian Spirit (Thành Hoàng), Forest Spirit, Stream Spirit, Tree Spirit, Mountain Spirit, etc.

Marriage Customs:

A unique tradition called "sleeping in the same roof" (tục ngủ mái) allows young men and women to exchange feelings and court during festivals and celebrations. However, it strictly prohibits inappropriate behavior and often leads to official marriage arrangements.

Traditional Attire:

• Men: Baggy pants in brown or ash-grey, short black shirts or tunics, purple headscarves, and wooden clogs.

• Women: White blouses, indigo-striped cotton skirts, white square scarves, and green sashes.

  
  

Cuisine:

They eat sticky rice steamed in a traditional bamboo steamer (hông), plain rice, and forest-foraged vegetables, tubers, and fruits. During festivals, they prepare bánh chưng, bánh giầy, bánh gai (black glutinous rice cake), and homemade rice wine.

Traditional Housing:

• In the past: Houses were stilted wooden homes, built with bamboo, wood, and palm leaves, often using mortise-and-tenon joints.

• Today: Many households have transitioned to ground-level houses or multi-story buildings, resembling those of ethnic Vietnamese in the same region.

  
  

Culture & Heritage:

(Nghề đan võng gai)