Laos' Traditional Arts & Ethnography Centre - weaving and other crafts

What seems a lifetime ago, I had studied the tribes inhabiting the regions of NE India, Burma and South East Asia. So, I was looking forward to actually visiting the areas where the Hmong’s, the Kachin's and other tribes lived today and more so in seeing once again at first hand the fabulous textiles and crafts which I had studied at the Dept of Archaeology and Anthropology in the late 1960’s. Laos is one of the most ethnically diverse countries having 49 officially recognised tribal groups. 

It was a surprise to me that TEAC – the Centre for Traditional Arts and Ethnology – is actually run by some French ladies with Lao support staff. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural diversity of the country. Founded in 2006, it generates income from ticket sales, donations and services.

TEAC activities include exhibitions, preservation and documentation, education and outreach and finally, advocacy and livelihood work. Very creditable objectives clearly established. Foreigners are also welcome to attend certain workshops.

It is located in a small bungalow way up a small hill and in a totally out of the way place. It consists of a museum and a small shop where you get some excellent items at high prices, but having bought some scarves and table hangings, well worth the price. This is a dying art and it’s because of TEAC’s support of local weavers that one can appreciate them for years. 

TEAC gives back 50% of its income to the villages across Laos.

The museum display is well designed, the exhibits well lit, the write ups perfect – in Lao and English – and it follows a well laid out path in its layout. From clothes to house to jewellery etc.

There are four basic groups – The Tai-Kadai, The Hmong-Yao, Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic.  I was just enamoured with the textiles on sale and found it really difficult to choose. 

Hmong embroidery is from the mountainous regions of Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong’s helped the American side and as a result thousands fled to USA when the USA lost the war.  Their embroidery and appliqué techniques are famous for the detailed stitch work and amazingly intricate patterns. It is said that their motifs are often inspired by nature or folklore. 

The second group featured in TEAC was the Yao Mien who is essentially from north Laos and are Taoists. Their women are dexterous embroiderers who use three types of stitches – cross stitch, grid stitch and weave stitch. This particular design would be featured on a man’s shirt or be part of a design for a baby carrying cloth.

As the Yao use Chinese script as their written language, there is a definite Chinese influence. Appliqué work and braided cord are used as designs material for baby carriers – fabric used for strapping babies on the back. Some important pieces may feature silver discs and the craftswomen may take months to complete a design incorporating their techniques.

I was told that one set of Yao Mien women’s trousers can take nine months to embroider. 

A lesser known group are the Katu from south Laos and highlands of central Vietnam having Austro-Asian background. This fabric is woven on their traditional back strap loom and generally has cross thread or weft beading.

Until the introduction of cheap machine made textiles, traditionally every Hmong and other tribal household would have produced its own textiles. Girls would learn the art of weaving, embroidery, appliqué, indigo dyeing, and batik from a young age. Now women purchase batik cloth from traders and then embellish with their own appliqué and embroidery.  Polyester and cheap cotton have killed the creative instincts and skills of the Lao women. 

The skirt featured here can use up to six metres of fabric. Their batik work begins with the design being drawn with beeswax. On plain cloth. Then dyed indigo blue. The waxed areas don’t accept indigo. The fabric is then boiled to remove the wax. This is known as resist dye process. 

 
 These Khmu women clothes are made from hand spun undyed cotton woven in their village of Luang Namth province. When they relocated, they left behind their looms and skills. The short exhibits a modern style decorated with sequins and multicoloured embroidery. 

“Job’s tears” is a grass with long stems and leaves resembling corn. Generally found in swamps or edges of a river. It grows as a weed along roads also. They adapt well to natural and human habitat, they can be easily gathered and cultivated. There are four wild species and three wild varieties all native to this area. 

They are used for three main purposes:

·         Food – domestic variety used as a cereal – boiled or steamed as a meal or as a snack.

·         Medicine – herbal medicines are made from their roots, stems, leaves and / or seeds.  Especially useful for skin and internal ailments.

·         Beads – locals gather the hard shelled fruits from the wild species and use them as beads in handicraft items and costumes.  

 Historically, Job’s tears seeds were used for decorative purposes, based on the local environment and an ability to cultivate certain seeds locally. Sadly plastic has started to replace nature’s bounty. In the past natural materials played a crucial role: plat vine, cotton, plant dyes and seeds. Now we have factory produced synthetic fabrics, chemical dyes, plastic beads, and manufactured ornaments!! 

As villagers get resettled, they have less access to the forests and fields where they sourced their original needs. People now have jobs and money so why waste time creating when they get a wider range of items? Migration and media have exposed whole communities to different lifestyles which led to changing livelihoods and cultural norms. 

But why were bags decorated with Job’s tears? The seeds were actually an item of decoration and beauty: the Wa of eastern Myanmar use the tube shaped beeds.

But the Jhingpaw people of Kachin state in Myanmar recognise the bag as a symbol of the male costume – for attending social and cultural events. The bag symbolises the torso of a human and the tube shaped seeds on the bottom fringe are the legs!  However, in Yunnan province of China, Jhingpaw women wear their bags with seeds to demonstrate their ethnic identity especially when traditional clothes are not worn. 

The Khmu are well known weavers – they would weave a traditional shape of bamboo basket according to which village they came from !! 

The visit to the TEAC museum was extremely interesting especially as they have done a splendid job in tracing and keeping alive the varied tribal cultures. A morning well spent. 

Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com

Phonsovan :living in the midst of millions of Cluster bombs

Phonsovan and the Plain of Jars (PoJ) were my next destination after Luang Prabang (LP) and my amazing trip to Nong Kiau in NNE Lao... (that’s another blog). I’d rather see the Plain of Jars than spend a night in the party town of Vang Vieng. LP centre to Phonsovan centre is 261 kms / 6 ½ hours. And the half way point of Phou Khoun is 2 ½ hours / 128 kms from LP.  

Each major town has the west and the east bus terminal – very convenient for local travellers. Our route took us past the tourist bus station where we also paid the taxi tax.  As you see, the time table is detailed and has frequent services. There are VIP buses which are the best in terms of speed, comfort, condition etc. Many have toilets on board. There are local buses which are basic. Then there are mini bus and taxis. The rates differ upon the transport. It cost me US$ 170 to hire a cab to Phonsovan compared to say $ 20 or so for a bus trip.         

The drive LP – Ban Houi Hia is known for its magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. The road to Xieng Khuang province reach the high altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level. Stopping for a view, we found two school girls enjoying a quiet moment. My driver explained to me that they came from a village down below and were skiving of school – trying to earn some pocket money by doing dubious work. The lure of quick money and fancy cell phones etc were too much for many kids.   

               

The countryside was the same as most south Asian villages. Small shacks selling fresh vegetables, houses with aluminium roofs or a brick structure. We crossed many small streams and a river or two. Muddy and murky waters. Lots of greenery and then suddenly a cleaned muddy hill. 

The views were good but I was sad to see that in the name of development, there is massive deforestation everywhere. Swathes of forests have been cut down.

                                                                                                                                       

Phou Khoun Observation Site is located in the middle of a national highway Route 13 that connects the Luang Prabang - Vientiane. This is great spot to have spectacular view and sunset. But for me, going to the West, it meant a serious diversion which I wished to avoid so we left it out. 

The roads are decent – most times single lane and surprisingly most of the vehicles do not blow their horns at oncoming curves.  I was surprised at lane discipline being observed. Many times we were stuck behind a monster vehicle but we made good time in the end. 

We stopped at Phoun Khoun centre. It was hot and just past noon. Most of the shop owners were lethargic and dosing. I walked around to get a feel of the place – very depressing. There were hardly any shoppers for anything. The square was deserted.  I was fascinated by the variety of knives available. Unfortunately there was no one whom I could speak with to ask their various uses. 

                                                  At Namchet, we got a rather splendid view of the valley. 

Seeing that hut built on stilts, I recalled seeing many huts and buildings built on stilts everywhere – some very fragile but still on stilts and, if anything happened, a rather steep fall down below. 

Finally after Chomsi, we were off the mountains and on flat roads. Over 175 kms of mountain road. 5 ½ hours of driving. What a relief. Throughout the trip, we came across clusters of small children – some as young as 3 years – on their way to school. Dressed very smartly in clean uniforms. Always smiling. 

Phonsovan is the provincial capital of Xieng Khouang province. It was built in the late 1970s and replaced the old Xieng Khouang which had been destroyed during the Second Indochina War. It is located in the centre of the Plain of Jars and has a pleasant climate but it can become pretty cold during winter as its on at 1100m. “The long winding main street of Phonsavanh looks like the setting of a David Lynch inspired Spaghetti Western minus the tumbleweeds”. As soon as you leave town the countryside is dominated by green hills and pine forests. Villages consist of colourful wood houses and often raise cattle. 

During a day trip, we came across this village where many houses had these noodle sheets drying. It seems it’s a local home industry. These sheets are placed on the bamboo mats as they are very sticky when wet. After drying, they are then sent to a factory for cutting into different forms. Many women sat by the roadside selling cut bamboo pieces about 9” long. 

Phonsavanh is home to various ethnic groups, such as the Phuan, whose ancestors once founded the kingdom of the same name, the Hmong, whose celebrations in Xieng Khouang are famous throughout Laos, and the Khmu and Tai Dam. There is also a minority of Laotian Chinese and Vietnamese and workers and missionaries from Korea and the USA. Typical local products from Phonsavanh and the surrounding area are natural dyes and textiles each with individual pattern depending on the ethnic group, basketry, mulberry paper umbrellas, spoons made from war scrap or Hmong embroidery. A special drink is Matsutake Whiskey made from Hed Wai, a highly valued mushroom from the pine forests of Xieng Khouang.

Near Phonsovan there are two stupas which 

are in a derelict state. When built, they must have been impressive but today, grass and dirt lies all over but they are still promoted as tourist sites – there is nothing to see!! 

I was walking along a main street searching for a shop to sell an iPhone charger. On my way back, in the evening twilight, I saw this sign. Intrigued, I could not find the place as one could not see inside. It was like a garage with glass doors with dark sunfilm. Inside, I saw men and women being massaged side by side by blind men.

I decided to try it. Awesome. For an hour, he tweaked away all my aches and pains and loosened me up. Being blind, these masseurs are not seen as “invasive” by the female customers who obviously were pleased with their service

One of the most important aspects of travelling alone is to find a good restaurant. I don’t mind trying out street food but I am suspicious of things I can’t identify. This was particularly the case with street food in China and Ubon Ratchathani in eastern Thailand. So, when I found this place – and it appears that many foreigners have settled in Laos to be away from the rat race and to enjoy the laid back relatively cheap life here – it was a godsend.  I had all my dinners here as I was disappointed with the other western eateries. Lao Falang, as its name implies, means “Foreign Lao”. Absolutely excellent French food. My steak on one day and a pizza on the next evening were outstanding. The staff was helpful. Lots of cheese and meats in their cold storage if you wanted it. Customers even came for large takeaway orders which to me signified quality.

The UXO Survivor Information Centre, next door to MAG, is run by the Quality of Life Association (QLA) which is a provincial not for profit organisation that provides support for UXO survivors. They cover the cost of initial and ongoing medical treatment of UXO survivors and manage a range of livelihood training initiatives to help them to have a sustainable livelihood after their accident. A common cause of UXO accidents is digging on the farm, so for many UXO victims, farming is no longer an option. The organisation is also about Lao people helping Lao people; the QLA team and also their Board of Directors are Lao nationals, some of whom are UXO survivors themselves. The Centre has an exhibition with information about the various programs and short stories about some of the people they have helped. The Centre also includes a small shop comprising handicrafts that have been made by UXO survivors and UXO affected communities. The proceeds go to UXO survivors and towards buying more materials for making more products. Well worth a visit. 

At the MAG Office-UXO Visitor Information Centre in the centre of Phonsavanh (opposite Craters restaurant) the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has exhibits detailing  about the UXO (unexploded ordnance) problem in the province. MAG began its Lao program in 1994 and started the first internationally supported UXO clearance operation in Xieng Khouang.

Seeing Phonsovan's Xiang Khouang Airport reminded me of the airports we had in India for decades. Nice small buildings, personalised service, few travellers as there were few flights, comfortable chairs, fans and no AC etc: not these modern glass buildings where you walk a kilometre to get to your flight after hours of security and waiting!! So if you want a quick reminder of the past, just go to Phonosvan where the flights depend upon the traffic. Phonsovan has flights to many destinations but one has to check regularly about them as these can change at any time. There were flights to LP but for some reason these are only seasonal. It was a pleasant way to say goodbye to Phonsovan with a final last glance at that beautiful old fire tender. 

Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com