Palong Hill Tribe
We visited the Palong hill tribe in the Fong area of northern Thailand, located about 7 miles from the Myanmar-Thailand border.
There are very few members of the Palong northern Thailand hill tribes. The Palong fled from Burma (now called Myanmar) to Thailand between 1982 and 1984. They escaped from the violent Burmese government forces and rebel armies. They fled to the high Doi Angkhang mountains which border Thailand and Myanmar.
Before we visited the Palong tribe we stopped at the Thailand-Myanmar border crossing.
There is a strong military presence at this border with soldiers and barbed wire fences with bamboo spikes.
The culture of the Palong is similar to the other northern Thailand tribes. They are very spiritual and deeply believe in "animalism". This is the belief that all objects, places, plants, creatures, weather systems, rivers, human handiwork, and even words possess a distinct spiritual presence and are all alive and animated.
The Palong women are incredible weavers. They create stunning, colorful clothing. They believe the spirit lives within the woven cloth.
The women all wear brightly colored jackets. The majority of the jackets are blue or black, while others are green or purple. The jacket style is similar to that of a bolero. Regardless of their color, all jackets have a bright red collar. The women wear a long skirt that is red and patterned with thin white horizontal stripes. It is worn like a sarong.
But the most striking part of the Palong women's clothing is a wide silver waistband. This wide silver waistband is one piece. To put it on each morning, the women step into it and shimmy it up towards the waist. They then put on a wide black belt to help keep it in place.
We saw women roasting corn.
There are very few members of the Palong northern Thailand hill tribes. The Palong fled from Burma (now called Myanmar) to Thailand between 1982 and 1984. They escaped from the violent Burmese government forces and rebel armies. They fled to the high Doi Angkhang mountains which border Thailand and Myanmar.
Before we visited the Palong tribe we stopped at the Thailand-Myanmar border crossing.
There is a strong military presence at this border with soldiers and barbed wire fences with bamboo spikes.
The culture of the Palong is similar to the other northern Thailand tribes. They are very spiritual and deeply believe in "animalism". This is the belief that all objects, places, plants, creatures, weather systems, rivers, human handiwork, and even words possess a distinct spiritual presence and are all alive and animated.
The women all wear brightly colored jackets. The majority of the jackets are blue or black, while others are green or purple. The jacket style is similar to that of a bolero. Regardless of their color, all jackets have a bright red collar. The women wear a long skirt that is red and patterned with thin white horizontal stripes. It is worn like a sarong.
But the most striking part of the Palong women's clothing is a wide silver waistband. This wide silver waistband is one piece. To put it on each morning, the women step into it and shimmy it up towards the waist. They then put on a wide black belt to help keep it in place.
We saw women roasting corn.
Cabbage for sale.
This is drinking water. You can see the bamboo gutter from which the rainwater flows into the barrel.
The Palong women also create stunning silver trimmed hats.
Living high in the mountains, this Palong hill
tribe grow strawberries. Row upon row of strawberries on the mountain slopes. This is a cash crop to replace opium.
tribe grow strawberries. Row upon row of strawberries on the mountain slopes. This is a cash crop to replace opium.
Interestingly, the Palong use fig leaves as organic mulch.
Palong woman tending to the strawberry fields.
The strawberries from that Palong field are sent out and are made into bottles of strawberry wine and jam for tourists to purchase in towns.
