The road out of Thoed Thai to Hua Mae Kham is a favourite. Rarely visited by Thais, who fear the area is 'dangerous', little known to foreigners, it has only recently become accessible along a recently sealed road. This is raw, fabulous Thailand - towering mountains, massive forests, fertile valleys & the most fascinating people to be found anywhere; hill-tribe people with their own histories, languages, clothing & religions dating back thousands of years into central China.
We were heading for Pang Ma Hua - an isolated village on the way to Hua Mae Kham, where the hill-tribes who grew the opium poppies for Khun Sa, the world's biggest heroin supplier for 30 years into the early 2000's, live.
New Year is THE big day for the Lahu - a day to seek blessing (the Lahu believe in an omnipotent power), to show respect to one's ancestors, to offer gifts, to ceremoniously wash the hands of others, to dance, to spin tops & to throw balls, to fire crackers & to feast.
Entering Ban Pang Ma Hua:
As we were early we strolled through the village finding a future GTR & kids readying themselves for the festivities ahead....
Pick-up loads of Lahu were arriving by the minute & we moved to a large covered area with a substantial stage to find musicians patiently waiting & older folk scurrying down to take up vantage points:
Up behind the village the throng was assembling. When this gathering of many Lahu tribes started their march down to commence the festivities with fireworks & ritual dancing the sight was on such a massive scale for such a small village that I looked on totally stunned, forgetting I even had a camera! The first photo I took, taken within minutes of their arrival, gives you an idea:
They dance for hours with a basic 'theme' varying between different sub-tribes around the 'Year Tree'/Tree of Life under which an altar on which offerings (including a recently slaughtered pig's head) are placed. It represents the opportunity to seek health, a good harvest, peace in their hearts & minds, many children & many animals, family & village stability, & to pay respect to their ancestors.
It is mesmorising & I enclude a few photos below of various musicians on pipes & percussion followed by dancers in differing costumes to mark their tribe:
Schooling at Pang Ma Hua village caters for not only Lahu children but also a couple of Akha & a sole Lisu family. Here some of the pupils, then an Akha girl points with a Lisu girl whilst the Lahu look on:
(to be continued.........................)
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