6 Hill Tribes in Southeast Asia
There are many hill tribes in Asia with languages, costumes and practices that are very different from ours. Let’s take a look at some of them!
1. Akha
The Akha people are originally from Yunnan in Southern China, but many now live in Shan State and Chiang Rai in Myanmar, Laos, northern Vietnam and northern Thailand. Men and women live separately in bamboo huts raised on low wooden stilts. They speak a language in the Tibeto-Burman language group and have no system to write the language. Akha women usually wear metal accessories and colourful handmade clothes.
2. Lahu
Hundreds of thousands of Lahu people live in southwest China, Chaing Mai and Chiang Rai Provinces in Thailand, northern Laos, northern Vietnam and eastern Myanmar. About 80 percent of the Lahu population is made of five subgroups: Yellow Lahu, White Lahu, Red Lahu, Lahu Sheleh and Black Lahu. Like the Akha, they are excellent hunters and eat the crops they grow. They also wear colourful, elaborately embroidered clothes.
3. Hmong
There are roughly 12 million Hmong people worldwide. While most of them live in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, a large number live in Western countries like the USA, France, Australia and Argentina. There are five main Hmong languages: Red Hmong, Black Hmong, White Hmong, Green Hmong and Yao. Hmong women are known for their embroidery and cloth-making skills.
4. Mien
Also known as Yao, this tribe originated from China and migrated to Thailand, Vietnam and Laos from the late 1800s. Mien women wear long black jackets with red woolen lapels whereas men wear simple black or blue outfits. Women also wear a traditional black headpiece called muoc zou. Babies usually wear intricately embroidered caps. Like the other tribes here, they celebrate the Lunar New Year and worship spirits of ancestors and the natural world.
5. Lisu
Found in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and India, the Lisu people originated from eastern Tibet. There are currently more than 630,000 Lisu people in China. The Lisu moved from Myanmar to Thailand in the early 20th century. Females wear multicoloured tunics and round, decorated headdresses. Lunar New Year is not only a time for them to feast and wear special clothes but also a time to find a partner. Lisu villages are usually built close to a water source not just for convenience but also because they believe water has divine power.
6. Karen
The Karen make up the largest minority tribe in both Thailand and Myanmar. Karen people also live in countries like India. Australia and the USA. While most of us have names given to us at birth, Karen children are given their names in a special naming ceremony when they are one month old. The Karen people have bronze drums that they play to ask spirits to bring rain, so these drums are called Karen rain drums. The key Karen festivals are the Karen New Year, Karen State Day and the Wrist Tying Ceremony.