Muong women dream in the white smoke

The hobby of smoking tobacco pipes of Muong women in An Nghia commune (Lac Son - Hoa Binh) has been passed down for many generations. Currently, mainly the elderly and middle-aged women are still fascinated by this hobby.

The habit of smoking tobacco has been very popular in Vietnam for many generations, but it is mostly used by men. However, in some localities of Lac Son district, including An Nghia commune, this "pleasure" is no longer "exclusive" to men. Most middle-aged women and old ladies in An Nghia have been addicted to tobacco since their teenage years.

Re market (An Nghia commune) meets 3 times a week (Monday, Thursday, Saturday) and is never short of tobacco vendors. Unlike markets in the lowlands, tobacco vendors at Re market are always surrounded by women trying to smoke tobacco.

Women often go to the market very early and never miss the tobacco stall. The special thing is that you can freely try the tobacco here even if you don't buy it. Tobacco at Re market includes types such as Tien Lang (Hai Phong), Khanh Van (Vinh Phuc) and the kind sold from Thanh Hoa.

Dreamily in the white smoke, Muong women chatted about all kinds of things in the upper and lower villages.

Mrs. Bui Thi Hoi enjoys the wonderful taste of the first cigarette of the new day. Over 80 years old, Mrs. Hoi said she "started smoking" since her teenage years.

Unlike men who take long drags, women here have a different way of smoking. Each ball of tobacco is taken 3 to 4 times and the puffs are quite light.

The old ladies said to take a deep breath to avoid getting drunk.

Tobacco in An Nghia is like betel leaves for women in the lowlands. When women meet each other, they have to carefully light each other's tobacco balls, while smoking, they whisper about village stories.

Smoking tobacco is popularly called "eating tobacco" by the Muong people in An Nghia. On average, a person "eats" about a few dozen tobacco balls a day.

Going to the market to smoke with friends, the joy multiplies, the women just whisper and take care of each other with each "piece of tobacco". In addition to the harmful effects on health, tobacco strengthens the close relationship of the people here.

The scene of women daydreaming in a cloud of cigarette smoke may seem strange to people from other places, but in An Nghia it has been familiar for many generations.

Ms. Bui Thi Nguu lives in Yen Nghia commune, bordering An Nghia commune, and took the opportunity to stop by to "have" a cigarette before going shopping at the market.

Everyone in Ms. Nguu's family is addicted to tobacco. Ms. Nguu's mother, Bui Thi Ngu, is 85 years old and has been addicted since she was 20. Up to now, she still regularly "eats" about a dozen pills every day. Ms. Nguu said that her family consumes about 2 to 3 ounces of tobacco every month. One ounce of tobacco costs 20,000 VND.

According to Vietnamnet