Golden Triangle – A mecca of tribal diversity
South East Asia’s Golden Triangle is being considered one of the most ethnically diverse regions on the world. A term coined by the CIA, the “Golden Triangle” refers to the border regions between Thailand, Burma and Laos and when instead of money, gold was used by Chinese traders to pay for opium grown there. The history of the opium poppy in the Golden Triangle can be traced back to various nomadic tribes for whom the poppy was an integral part of their cultural traditions. In an effort to stamp out the drug trade, the Thai government made poppy-growing illegal in 1959 and brought in crop-substitution programs for farmers.
These photos were taken in January 2012 while touring in Laos and Thailand. The largest ethnic diversity I found has as reference the town of Mae Salong. Here lives a population originated from China and a distinctive Chinese culture pervades the entire town, whether it is in the faces, language or food. Here I visited two villages where the Akha community lives. With alleged roots in Tibet, the Akha are the most spiritually colorful and distinctive people but also unfortunately among the most down-trodden and poorest of the hill tribes. On the way out to the border with Burma I met a Karen community that celebrated something like “Thanksgiving”. The Karen people are a very diverse ethnic group originated from Burma. In Ban Rak Thai I met a remarkable Chinese community established here from Yunnan province after the Chinese Civil War, and at only a few kilometers I caught a funeral ceremony of the Hmong people – diligent and independent people, fond of wearing their silver ornaments during ceremonies. Although not classified as “Hill Tribes” one of the most impressive community as a lifestyle, appearance, and destiny is the Palong people – the very photogenic “long-neck” women – which I found in Huay Phu Keng, a village situated near the border with Burma.
Golden Triangle – A mecca of tribal diversity
South East Asia’s Golden Triangle is being considered one of the most ethnically diverse regions on the world. A term coined by the CIA, the “Golden Triangle” refers to the border regions between Thailand, Burma and Laos and when instead of money, gold was used by Chinese traders to pay for opium grown there. The history of the opium poppy in the Golden Triangle can be traced back to various nomadic tribes for whom the poppy was an integral part of their cultural traditions. In an effort to stamp out the drug trade, the Thai government made poppy-growing illegal in 1959 and brought in crop-substitution programs for farmers.
These photos were taken in January 2012 while touring in Laos and Thailand. The largest ethnic diversity I found has as reference the town of Mae Salong. Here lives a population originated from China and a distinctive Chinese culture pervades the entire town, whether it is in the faces, language or food. Here I visited two villages where the Akha community lives. With alleged roots in Tibet, the Akha are the most spiritually colorful and distinctive people but also unfortunately among the most down-trodden and poorest of the hill tribes. On the way out to the border with Burma I met a Karen community that celebrated something like “Thanksgiving”. The Karen people are a very diverse ethnic group originated from Burma. In Ban Rak Thai I met a remarkable Chinese community established here from Yunnan province after the Chinese Civil War, and at only a few kilometers I caught a funeral ceremony of the Hmong people – diligent and independent people, fond of wearing their silver ornaments during ceremonies. Although not classified as “Hill Tribes” one of the most impressive community as a lifestyle, appearance, and destiny is the Palong people – the very photogenic “long-neck” women – which I found in Huay Phu Keng, a village situated near the border with Burma.
