According to the survey results, the origin of the Cao Lan people in Bac Giang province is from Guangdong, Guangxi, Yangzhou and Guizhou (China) who have migrated to Vietnam for 300 years. Coming to Vietnam, Cao Lan people reside in Quang Ninh province and migrate to the mountainous districts of Bac Giang province.

According to statistics in 2014, the Cao Lan - San Chi ethnic group in Bac Giang province has over 25,000 people living in 4 districts: Son Dong, Luc Ngan, Luc Nam and Yen The.

Like other ethnic minorities living in lowland areas, the Cao Lan people take the cultivation of wet rice and other food crops on sloping land as the main economic activity, and they also make use of plots of land flat to grow wet rice. All other activities such as animal husbandry, family crafts, trading and hunting and gathering are all complementary economic activities for the crop. In the process of agricultural production, Cao Lan people use tools such as plows, harrow, rakes, spud, bush whacker and pickers.

A special type of shirt of Cao Lan women is a “pu dan dinh”, the shirt is indigo. Underneath the shirt, white squarecloth pieces are attached. The dress is unbuttoned, while wearing the lumbar belt outside. Men's clothing has many similarities to the costumes of the two Tay and Nung ethnic groups. Indigo men's trousers, shirts which closely resemble loose fitting blouse (bà ba)n of the Kinh.

In the past, the Cao Lan people often stayed in the houses on stilts. Since the 1960s of XX century, the houses on stilts of the people have given way to the houses on land. As a result, there are very few houses on stilts in Bac Giang now.