Some info that I think I never finished posting, from a ride on 1148 in September 2020 with Dave DKT.
Our destination for the day was the Phu Langka Resort to hook up with Ajarn Kevin & also his brother San at the Phu Langka Balcony resort.
Kevin & San are both Mien / Yao people & have lived at Phu Langka for decades.
The both have "royal Mien heritage" & if my memory is correct their great great / great grandfather ? was one of the early Mien pioneers who moved into Nan from China.
About 800 years ago the Iu Mien were engaged in lengthy war by forces of the Chinese emperor of the day. All but crushed by the Emperor's forces, the Iu Mien were given an ultimatum surrender or be destroyed. The Iu Mien King chose to make a treaty & cede control of his lands.
The treaty was called “Passport to travel in the hill” or “Passport to cross the mountain.”
Basically this treaty gave the Mien people the right to maintain their own culture, language, freedom to travel, settle & cultivate land, provided they did not attempt to form a government or their own kingdom.
In the 1870s or early 1880s, some Mien led by Tang Tsan Khwoen arrived in Nan and tried to settle at Phu Wae. They were refused at first, but after presenting their Mien Passport to Travel to the King of Nan, they were allowed to stay & Tang Tsan Khwoen was appointed Phaya Khiri (Mountain Chief), to look after the mountainous area that was controlled by the then King of Nan. In the day, The Nan King's rule extended all the way to Muang Sing in Northern Laos. In exchange for being able to settle in Nan province, Tang Tsan Khwoen gave silver, rhinoceros horns, and a promise to serve as a reserve military force for the Nan kingdom.
Later on Tang's son was also a Thao title.
That son subsequently became sub-district headman (Thai: kamnan), a position inherited later by that man’s son and grandson.
They maintained the relationship with the king’s spirit and kept the copy of Emperor Ping’s Charter, which was a family heirloom though it now is becoming more of an ethnic marker.
That original ancient Passport to Travel is with Kevin @ the Phu Langka Resort.
He is a direct descendant from Tang Tsan Khwoen & custodian of Iu Mien history in N Thailand.
Kevin has a small museum at his resort with the Iu Mien history.
Sadly, there is not a lot in English, but you can read the Iu Mien / Yao history on GTR here
www.gt-rider.com
Dve DKT & I had the great honour to see & hold that scroll with Kevin. He does not bring it out for public display very often.
Kevin's brother San.
San used to be a forestry / national park official on Phu Langkha mountain, & remembers well the fighting between the government & communists in the day.
Both these guys - Kevin & San - have led amazing lives & are fantastic humble characters.
Long may their success continue at Phu Langkha.
www.gt-rider.com
Our destination for the day was the Phu Langka Resort to hook up with Ajarn Kevin & also his brother San at the Phu Langka Balcony resort.
Kevin & San are both Mien / Yao people & have lived at Phu Langka for decades.
The both have "royal Mien heritage" & if my memory is correct their great great / great grandfather ? was one of the early Mien pioneers who moved into Nan from China.
About 800 years ago the Iu Mien were engaged in lengthy war by forces of the Chinese emperor of the day. All but crushed by the Emperor's forces, the Iu Mien were given an ultimatum surrender or be destroyed. The Iu Mien King chose to make a treaty & cede control of his lands.
The treaty was called “Passport to travel in the hill” or “Passport to cross the mountain.”
Basically this treaty gave the Mien people the right to maintain their own culture, language, freedom to travel, settle & cultivate land, provided they did not attempt to form a government or their own kingdom.
In the 1870s or early 1880s, some Mien led by Tang Tsan Khwoen arrived in Nan and tried to settle at Phu Wae. They were refused at first, but after presenting their Mien Passport to Travel to the King of Nan, they were allowed to stay & Tang Tsan Khwoen was appointed Phaya Khiri (Mountain Chief), to look after the mountainous area that was controlled by the then King of Nan. In the day, The Nan King's rule extended all the way to Muang Sing in Northern Laos. In exchange for being able to settle in Nan province, Tang Tsan Khwoen gave silver, rhinoceros horns, and a promise to serve as a reserve military force for the Nan kingdom.
Later on Tang's son was also a Thao title.
That son subsequently became sub-district headman (Thai: kamnan), a position inherited later by that man’s son and grandson.
They maintained the relationship with the king’s spirit and kept the copy of Emperor Ping’s Charter, which was a family heirloom though it now is becoming more of an ethnic marker.
That original ancient Passport to Travel is with Kevin @ the Phu Langka Resort.
He is a direct descendant from Tang Tsan Khwoen & custodian of Iu Mien history in N Thailand.
Kevin has a small museum at his resort with the Iu Mien history.
Sadly, there is not a lot in English, but you can read the Iu Mien / Yao history on GTR here
Nan - the 2022 Iu Mien / Yao Festival
Jurgen the GTR photographer maestro had a tip off a few weeks ago for another annual Iu Mien / Yao ethnic festival.... These annual Iu Mien meetings have been going for several years, exactly how many I'm not sure, but there have been 2 in Chiang Khong & 1 in Chiang Rai that I know of...
www.gt-rider.com
Dve DKT & I had the great honour to see & hold that scroll with Kevin. He does not bring it out for public display very often.
Kevin's brother San.
San used to be a forestry / national park official on Phu Langkha mountain, & remembers well the fighting between the government & communists in the day.
Both these guys - Kevin & San - have led amazing lives & are fantastic humble characters.
Long may their success continue at Phu Langkha.
Phu Langkha R1148 - Magic Mountain - Accommodation
The Phu Langkha Balcony Pricey, nice rooms with stunning views. Your private balcony view Exellent gas hot water system & water pressure The Phu Langkha Balcony has a variety of rooms from 2,500 baht VIP rooms to 1,000 baht...
www.gt-rider.com
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