The three points of Southeast Asia’s infamous Golden Triangle are anchored by neighbours Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, whose borders meet at Sop Ruak, the confluence of the rushing Mekong and Ruak rivers. But beyond its opium notoriety lies a rich history as the cultural heart of the region, from which emerged tribal communities that have persevered with tradition till today. How did this come to be? In ancient times, travellers from China and Tibet traversed well-established trade routes connecting northern Asia to its south, and the communities that eventurally settled along this wild tract formed the ancestral foundations for the tribal societies that remain. To date, over 130 distinct groups and subgroups are dotted around the Golden Triangle, most of them living in inaccessible areas.
Some of these prominent groups include are the Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Hmong, Mien (Yao), and Karen. Before the drawing of borders and national boundaries, these six communities established settlements along the lower reaches of the Yellow River before 2000 BC. Recognised as the second longest river in China, the winding Yellow River flows through nine provinces, from the east of China up until the southwest.
As time went on, their relatively isolated existence gave rise to unique cultural practices spanning art, music and spirituality.
In search of fertile land, these six groups migrated south. The Hmong and Mien, originally from northeast China, travelled down to the south, as
