Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lahu
The
Lahu
inhabit areas of northwestern Laos, as well as Thailand and Myanmar (Burma).
A branch of the tribe known as the Lahu Na, or Black Lahu, are known first and foremost
for their hunting skills. Formerly they used crossbows but now they manufacture their own
muzzle-loading rifles which they use to hunt birds and rodents. Old American M1 carbines
and Chinese-made Kalashnikov rifles are used to bring down larger game, and Lahu hunters
are sometimes seen at the side of the road displaying freshly killed wildlife for sale, though
the practice is increasingly less acceptable in the eyes of both government and local people.
The Mien
Linguistically related to the Hmong, the
Mien
also immigrated into Laos from China, but
their culture is much more Sinicized; the Mien use Chinese characters to write and worship
Taoist deities. Like the Hmong, they cultivate opium, which they trade for salt and other ne-
cessities that are not easily obtained at high elevations, and are known to be astute traders.
It's estimated that nearly half the country's Mien population fled after the communist vic-
tory. Today Sayaboury province, northwest of Vientiane, has the largest population of Mien
in Laos. The costume of Mien women is perhaps Laos's most exotic, involving intricately
embroidered pantaloons worn with a coat and turban of indigo blue. The most striking feature
is a woolly red boa, attached to the collar and running down the front of their coats.
The Akha
The
Akha
are another of the highlands' stunning dressers; look out for the Akha women's
distinctive headgear, covered with rows of silver baubles and coins. Speakers of a
Tibeto-Burman language, the Akha began migrating south from China's Yunnan province to
escape the mayhem of the mid-nineteenth-century Muslim Rebellion. This was followed by
another exodus after the Chinese communist victory in 1949 and again during the Cultural
Revolution. They now inhabit parts of Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand as well as
Laos, where they are found mainly in Phongsali and Luang Namtha provinces.
Akha villages are easily distinguished by their elaborate “spirit gate”. This gate is hung with
woven bamboo “stars” that block spirits, as well as crude male and female effigies with exag-
gerated genitalia. The Akha are animists and, like the Hmong, rely on a village shaman and
his rituals to help solve problems of health and fertility or provide protection against malevol-
ent spirits. The Akha raise dogs as pets as well as for food, but do not eat their own pets; dogs
that will be slaughtered for their meat are bought or traded from another village.
The Akha are fond of singing and often do so while on long walks to the fields or while
working. Some songs are specially sung for fieldwork but love ballads and a sort of “Akha
blues” - songs about struggling through life while surrounded by rich neighbours - are also
popular.
