The Hmong | History and origins
Various subgroups of ethnic Hmong people inhabit wide swathes of the mountainous regions of northern Southeast Asia including Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Their original homeland is thought to be in southeastern and east central China with linguists and ethnologists classifying them as being part of the Miao family. Although they are often locally referred to by the same name in southern China, Laos and Thailand, Miao is considered pejorative so we’ll stick to the more acceptable term, Hmong. (Note in Vietnam they are generally referred to as H’mong, although elsewhere the H is silent.)
They are related to the Mien ethnic group (which includes the Yao of Thailand and Laos and the Black and Red Dzao of Vietnam) but are not related to the various Sino-Tibetan minorities such as Akha, Lisu and Lahu whose villages often lie in close proximity. Certain Hmong groups, or clans, are thought to have slowly migrated southwards from China in relatively recent times and today comprise one of the largest hill tribe groups in Southeast Asia, while an estimated 3 million still live in China itself.
Black Hmong girls in Sapa Their language reveals numerous influences, not least Chinese (Mandarin). Indeed, traditionally, Chinese characters were employed for their written language, although we have seen a Latin script version (presumably created by European missionaries). They are traditionally animist with many beliefs persisting into the present, although some have converted to Buddhism or Christianity.
The ethnic group is further divided into subgroups or extended clans with their names reflecting the predominant colours of their traditional dress. These include Red, White, Blue (or Green) and Black as well as the spectacularly-dressed Flower Hmong. Western populations, inhabiting Laos and Thailand, consist primarily of White and Blue subgroups; Black Hmong inhabit the Sapa region of Vietnam with the Flower Hmong to the east around Bac Ha and the Red subgroup to the west and northwest in the region of Lai Chau. In Vietnam in particular, many women still wear traditional dress – especially for example of market days – while Sapa is one of the few areas where you’ll encounter significant numbers of traditionally-clad males.
Bedspreads for sale in Sapa’s main street. Recent history
Laos’ Hmong have a particularly troubled recent history as many chose to side with the US during the war in Indochina and were trained and equipped by the CIA to fight against the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese. At the war’s end in 1975, many Hmong fled the country and after staying in Thai refugee camps over the border, were resettled in Australia, France and the US. (Several US cities today – Sacramento being an often cited example – have large minorities of ethnic Hmong while we once visited a Hmong cultural festival in Milwaukee.) The Hmong general, Vang Pao, was offered a ranch in Montana, (presumably on the basis that he’d feel at home as the state has lots of mountains), while certain refugees were even apparently resettled in French Guiana – on the assumption that one patch of jungle is pretty much the same as another). Anti-communist insurgents – financed by overseas Hmong – continued to fight up-country into relatively recent times.
Ironically, during Thailand’s communist insurgency of the 70s and 80s, the Hmong largely sided with the insurgents and fought against government forces and KMT mercenaries (1) in north Thai provinces such as Nan and Chiang Rai. (The unfortunate Hmong were thus on the losing side in both conflicts.)
They were traditionally notorious for involvement in the opium trade and indeed, the CIA’s facilitating of the trade in order to finance the Hmong army is well-documented in the excellent book, The Politics of Heroin.
A Hmong village on Chiang Mai’s Doi Pui even has a sample opium patch for visitors’ photos The Hmong today
Today this is history. The poppies have been replaced by cherries, coffee, strawberries, etcetera and with a reputation for commerce (other than opium) in Thailand and Laos, often form one of the most integrated of hill tribe groups. Their spectacular handicrafts are ubiquitous at any market in Luang Prabang, Sapa or Chiang Mai.
Elderly lady embroidering, Doi Pui, Chiang Mai Many Vietnamese Hmong groups still inhabit remote areas and outside of the tourist hotspots of Sap and Bac Ha don’t always have much contact with visitors or even lowland Vietnamese. Traditional dress is still commonly worn by women, although most males resemble their Vietnamese counterparts. In Laos, the minority is principally concentrated today in Luang Prabang, Bolikhamxai and Xiengkhouane Provinces, including the Plain of Jars, although traditional costumes are rarely worn in everyday life. The same goes for Thailand, where Hmong communities are encountered in Nan, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Provinces. The spectacularly embroidered costumes are now rarely seen outside of festivals, although in both instances, street market vendors may well make an effort in this respect to encourage sales of their handicrafts.
The aforementioned vendors are encountered on any of our Thailand and Laos tours, which include Chiang Mai or Luang Prabang, while Sapa and Bac Ha feature on the aptly named 5-day Sapa extension.
(1) KMT refers to Kuomintang, or nationalist Chinese forces, who eventually settled in northern Thailand after defeat by Mao’s People’s Army. They weren’t strictly paid mercenaries but helping the Thai government to combat CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) insurgents was part of the deal in return for allowing them to settle.
