Thursday, June 9, 2011

Hill Tribes of Thailand

Another beautiful face.
Just outside of Chiang Mai is a hill village where three different hill tribes
live and demonstrate life in their villages.
Though I would have actually loved traveling through the hills to each village,
the visit here was a total delight.  I love seeing how others live when traveling
and this was the perfect setting for our last day in Thailand.
The women in each tribe weave on harness looms and sell their wares right from their home.
If you look closely there is a string tied to this woman's toe.  She was moving her
foot, which pulled the string, then rocked a baby in a cloth hanging cradle.
There were several women throughout the villages doing just the same thing.
The largest group and the most fascinating are the "long neck" women.
They are the Palongs from Myanmar and have lived in Thailand for over 30 years. What is unique about them is that their women wear brass rings around their necks and legs. As you can see from the picture, the older they are the longer are the brass rings.


From the top of the hill looking back on the village of the "long necks".
Behind me at the end of the road was a school and a Catholic church.

Tomorrow will be the last day to visit Thailand and share,
then onto Taiwan and a lot of tea on Monday.
Double click on any of the smaller pictures to see more detail.

9 comments:

Angela McRae said...

Now THAT is what I call multitasking!

As beautiful as the bright colors are in your photos, it must have been breathtaking to see them in person!

parTea lady said...

What an interesting post about the hill tribes. I love the photos of the weavers. Did you buy some of their textiles? They look very colorful.

Annie Jeffries said...

I read an extensive article of the Palongs of Myanmar. The rings are placed on the females children from the the earliest ages. It's truly a remarkable tradition that I suspect will not see the 22nd century.

Marilyn said...

I sometimes am able to purchase silver beads from Hill Tribes. Interesting photos from their homes. ♥♫

Tracy said...

Amazing to see--those weaving looms! And how brilliant the colors. I love the East for all the colors. My Dad was stationed in Thailand during Vietnam. He loaded bombs onto planes for the Air Force. So sobering to think of. Thankfully he was never in combat or saw the very, very worst, but worse enough. I've always wanted to see Thailand. Being a jewelry designer and lover of shiny pretties can't beat the splendor of Hill Tribe silver. So much enjoying these peeks from your trip, Marilyn. Happy Weekend ((HUGS))

Adrienne said...

I would love to visit the villages of Thailand. Thank you for taking us there! Beautiful photos.
~Adrienne~

Jeanie said...

The colors on that loom -- gorgeous!

Mary said...

I'm curious about the fabrics Marilyn. As there are some for sale I hope to buy something to bring back.

Also, did you have any problems with bugs there while exploring the villages - specifically mosquitoes? Were you taking an anti-malarial (Malarone or such?). Did you have to use repellant. You know me - every mossie within 50 miles finds me so I have to be careful.

Looking forward to seeing these sights when in Chiang Mai. Thanks for sharing.
Mary

Thanyarat C. said...

Nice images! If at all appropriate it’s worth mentioning/promoting Thai Tribal Craft: http://www.ttcrafts.co.th/

This group is the only member of the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) in Chiang Mai that sells products entirely hand-crafted by hill-tribe artisans in Chiang Mai. It is managed by hill-tribes …

By the way, because they live in the mountains, these minority peoples are known to the Tai as chao khao, or “people of the hills”, a term which is often translated as “hill tribes”. In fact, the term “hill tribe” is something of a misnomer; they are not “tribes” in an anthropological sense, and “hill peoples” or even “highlanders” would certainly be a more accurate translation. Be this as it may, the designation “hill tribe” is widely accepted and must be considered standard current usage.

Thank you,
Thanyarat C.
www.ezistock.com