Laos: Hmong Village

We had the great pleasure of visiting a Hmong village that consists of 400 people. They weave beautiful cotton and do intricate needle point that is so colorful. It was another highlight of the trip to learn more about their culture and see how resourceful and clever they are.

The Hmong people are an ethnic group in East and Southeast Asia. They are a sub-group of the Miao people, and live mainly in Southern China, Vietnam and Laos. Many moved to California, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Hmong religion is traditionally animist (animism is the belief in the spirit world and in the interconnectedness of all living things). At the center of Hmong culture is the Txiv Neeb, the shaman (literally, "father/master of spirits"). According to Hmong beliefs the human body is the host for a number of souls.

Many Hmong fled Laos because they had sided with the United States during the Vietnam War in 1975.Read more