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 The
Dong people generally reside in small villages
although a few live in larger towns. They tend
to cluster as families or clans in these villages.
A typical village may contain anywhere from
50 to 600 families having only one or two surnames.
Traditionally, only men can inherit land. Dong
men are primarily farmers, growing rice and
cotton. They also breed fish, work in forestry,
and produce oil that is used in paints and varnishes.
Dong women work alongside the men in the fields
during planting and harvesting times. The gross individual
income is $360 (1.7% of the average income in the US).
When a child is born, the family goes to the
forest and plants "18 year" fir trees.
When the child matures to marriage at the age
of 18, he or she will have the use of the lumber
to construct their own house. With the introduction
of scientific cultivation methods, a fir sapling
can now mature in only eight or 10 years, but
the term "18 year trees" is still
current among the Dong people.
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