When the Son La Hydropower Plant project forced the White Thai to leave their traditional villages, they faced a difficult spiritual task. White Thai families in Son La Province traveled nearly 100 km to relocate ancestral graves after the project required resettlement. Researcher Luong Thi Minh Ngoc presented these findings at the fourth International Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi.

According to Ngoc’s report, the night‑time ritual required slaughtering a chicken, setting up a tarpaulin, digging, exhuming the remains and reburial before sunrise. At least twenty family members worked together to finish the task in one night.

Ngoc observed that each resettled village built its own shrine at the entrance, creating a spiritual anchor for the community. These shrines serve as places for collective worship and help maintain an independent spiritual identity.

Because the resettlement dispersed extended families, Ngoc noted that traditional funeral duties have been transferred to local women’s associations and youth unions. These organisations now help coordinate funeral arrangements and provide practical assistance to families.

The White Thai’s efforts show that cultural continuity can survive even when a community is moved far from its homeland. By moving graves, building shrines, and adapting rituals, they keep their traditions alive in new villages.