Archaeological evidence including stone tools found in the Nam Jook River Valley in Vieng Phoukha and cliff paintings near Nale suggest that Luang Namtha Province was inhabited as early as 6,000 years ago. The first local written account of the province’s history appears in the Xieng Khaeng Chronicles that recount the founding of Xieng Khaeng on the banks of the Mekong River in the early 15th century by Chao Fa Dek Noi, a Tai-Lue that originated in the court of Chiang Rung. Xieng Khaeng grew into a modest principality that later found itself under the influence of the Lanna Kingdom of Northern Thailand until the early 16th century and then become a Burmese vassal from the mid 16th to the early 19th century. Beginning in the first half of the 19th century, Xieng Khaeng fell under Siamese domination and suffered from numerous conflicts. In 1885 Chao Fa Silinor eventually led more than 1,000 Tai-Lue subjects to what is present day Muang Sing for both strategic military reasons and in search of more expansive agricultural land.

South of Muang Sing it appears that there were considerable population movements taking place from the 16th to the 19th century as well, in both the Nam Tha Valley and Vieng Phoukha. In 1587 a group of 17 Tai-Yuan families arrived in the Nam Tha Valley from Chiang Saen, settling near present-day Vieng Tai Village. By 1624 Muang Houa Tha was established under the traditional Tai Muang administrative structure, ruled by 4 nobles of the Saenhansulin family. In 1628, Pathat Phoum Phouk and Pathat Phasat were constructed as symbols of friendship and neutrality between Muang Houa Tha and Chiang Saen. The original Pathat Phoum Phouk still exists and is located south of Luang Namtha Township. The ruins of Pathat Prasat, on the other hand, are north of town near the source of the Nam Dee Stream but have almost completely disappeared.

Vieng Phoukha was also prospering by the 17th century, with the construction of dozens of Buddhist monasteries and pagodas in the Nam Jook and Nam Fa River valleys. Evidence of what must have been a large population in Vieng Phoukha can be seen just north of the district capital, where an extensive khou vieng (earthen rampart) surrounds the ruins of sprawling Vat Mahaphot and many smaller pagodas.

Though Muang Houa Tha enjoyed peace and stability through most of the 17th century, beginning in 1709 a series of natural disasters weakened the Muang and it briefly came under the influence of the Sipsongpanna Kingdom centered in southern China. A population exodus to Muang Sing, Muang Nan (Thailand) and Muang Ngern (Sayabouli Province) ensued, eventually causing the Nam Tha Valley to become nearly completely abandoned for 155 years. During the late 1700’s prior to the reign of Chao Fa Silinor, one of the first main population movements into Muang Sing began with a group of Tai-Lue from Xieng Khaeng, led by a woman named Nang Khemma. Nang Khemma was the widow of Xieng Khaeng’s ruler at the time and went on to commission the construction of That Xieng Teung Stupa in 1787. Today, That Xieng Teung remains highly revered by Tai-Lue Buddhists throughout the region and is believed to contain a sacred relic of the Lord Buddha.

In 1890, the Tai-Yuan returned to the Nam Tha Valley under the aegis of Chao Luangsitthisan to re-establish Muang Houa Tha. Vat Luang Korn, one of Luang Namtha’s largest, was constructed shortly thereafter in 1892. However, the newly resettled Muang Houa Tha was to enjoy its independence for only two years. In 1894, following a meeting between the French, British and Siamese colonists, it was agreed that Muang Houa Tha would be administered by the French and the Mekong from the northern reaches of Muang Sing to Chiang Saen would serve as the border between French Indochina and British-ruled Burma. Not long after this divide took place the first group of Tai-Dam arrived from Sip Song Chou Tai in north western Viet Nam and established Tong Jai Village on the east bank of the Nam Tha River. At about the same time the Tai-Dam arrived, migrations of Tai-Neua, Tai-Kao, Akha, Lanten, Yao and Lahu originating in Sipsongpanna, Burma and northwest Viet Nam began to migrate to the area’s fertile valleys and the forested mountains surrounding them.

By the late-1950’s following France’s withdrawal from Indochina after their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, Muang Houa Tha again found itself embroiled in conflict - this time between the US-backed Royal Lao Army and the resistance government’s communist inspired Pathet Lao forces. On 6 May 1962, Muang Houa Tha came under control of the Pathet Lao and was renamed Luang Namtha Province, while the area between Houei Xay and Vieng Phoukha was called Houa Khong Province, nominally controlled by the Royalists until the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 1975. Between 1975 and 1983 Houa Khong and Luang Namtha were administered as a single province and then partitioned into what is present day Luang Namtha and Bokeo.

Luang Namtha Province is home to more than 20 different ethnic groups, making it a remarkable repository of ethnic diversity and indigenous knowledge. The traditional clothing, handicrafts, livelihood systems and rituals of these ethnic groups are a valuable part of the province’s cultural heritage. Use of the term “ethnic minority” is somewhat of a misnomer in Luang Namtha, as ethnic minorities by far outnumber the ethnic Lao that make up only about 3% of the provincial population. According to the 2005 census, there are more Akha in Luang Namtha than any other single ethnic group, numbering 36,531 or 25.1% of the provincial population. The Akha primarily inhabit upland areas in Muang Sing and Long District, with some villages found in Namtha. The next largest ethnic group is the Khmu, who make up 24.5% of the population, followed by the Tai-Lue that account for 12.2%. Some of the provinces oldest continuously inhabited settlements are the ancient Tai-Lue villages found in the northern reaches of Muang Sing. Other Tai groups including the Tai-Dam, Tai-Khao and Tai-Daeng account for 10.1% of the population and live mostly in the Namtha Valley.

The short descriptions that follow are intended to provide a brief introduction to Luang Namtha’s main ethnic groups and highlight some aspects of their material and traditional culture.

The Akha are a Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnic group that first appeared in Laos around the mid-19th century. Akha life is characterized by a ritual and ethical code which provides them with strict guidelines on how to live their lives �" this is sometimes called the “Akha Way” (Akha zang). The “Akha Way” not only includes all Akha traditions, ceremonies and customary law, but it also determines how they cultivate their fields, hunt animals, how sickness is viewed and treated, and the manner in which Akha people relate to one another and to outsiders. The Akha have an amazing knowledge of the forest and rotational agriculture, with many villages still located high in the mountains. Akha women are easily recognizable by their distinctive costumes which consist of black cotton mini-skirts and black, tight-fitting bodices covered by jackets decorated with embroidery and appliqué designs, topped by an intricate head-dress.

Akha settlements are marked by their towering swings and gates �" both at the front and back of the village. These gates mark the boundary between the human world and the outside, natural world. The gate is usually flanked by a pair of male and female wooden figures and woven bamboo symbols. Visitors to the village can pass through the village gates, but should not touch the gate, the wooden figures or anything else associated with the gate.

The Khmu or their ancestors probably settled the area of present-day Laos several thousand years ago and are one of the most populous ethnic groups in Laos. Part of the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family, the Khmu are divided into many sub-groups including the Khmu Lue, Kwaen, Rok and Ou, with the majority of Khmu in Luang Namtha being Kwaen or Rok. Like many of the ethnic groups in northern Laos, the Khmu are not Buddhist, but practice their own form of animism.

The Khmu in Luang Namtha generally practice mixed economies, growing rice, hunting, gathering forest products and producing handicrafts to generate some cash income. Because the Khmu are highly knowledgeable about medicinal plants and are highly-skilled producers of woven rattan and bamboo basketry, many Khmu villages are regularly visited by tourists that purchase handicrafts and hire local guides to lead them on forest treks. Tourism has become a new and important source of income for a number of Khmu villages in Namtha and Vieng Phoukha District, especially in the villages located on the Ban Nalan Trekking Trail.

Tai-Dam

The Lanten wear distinctive black indigo-dyed cotton clothing with pink trim and silver jewelry. They too have migrated south from China over the past hundred years or so, bringing cultural practices and beliefs based on a mix of Taoism, ancestor and spirit worship. The Lanten live primarily along the province’s smaller rivers and streams, and are sometimes referred to as Lao Houay, meaning “stream Lao.” The Lanten produce high quality cotton cloth, wooden ceremonial masks and durable bamboo paper. Like the closely related Yao, they have a well developed writing system based on ancient Chinese characters. Men record religious texts, rituals and legends on bamboo paper that is produced by Lanten women.

One place that Lanten ceremonial masks are still being made is in Nam Lue Village. Mr. Lao Lee, a Lanten shaman that lives in Nam Lue village reports that the production of these masks almost completely stopped from the mid 1970’s until the late 1990’s, when it was revived due to a combination of support from the government to strengthen cultural industries and tourist’s interest in purchasing them.

The Lahu originated in southern China and now live across parts of Myanmar, Thailand and northern Laos. Most Lahu villages in Laos are located in Bokeo Province and Luang Namtha’s Vieng Phoukha and Long Districts. The name Lahu is derived from the word la hou, which means to breed tigers in the Lahu language. Like the Akha, the Lahu practice their own distinct form of spirit and ancestor worship, with good and bad spirits associated with natural phenomena, the house, livestock, the forest, and many other things. Rituals and celebrations associated with the agricultural cycle, marriage and house-building take place throughout the year. The most colorful is the New Year festival that usually takes place during January/February each year.

Trekking, Hiking, Kayaking, Rafting, Biking, Mountain, Mountain Biking, Boat Tour through the villages of Luang Namtha, Muang Sing, Vieng Phoukha and Long makes you a partner in improving people’s lives and in preserving the wonders of the Nam Ha NPA.

Single or multi day trekking tours led by trained local guides depart daily, including village visits and homestays. Many other activities such as boat tours, special tours for wildlife trekking or learning about rural lifestyles have been developed for visitors. The communities have been involved in tourism development and are actively participating and receiving a significant part of the benefits. Working to conserve and protect the natural and culture heritage of Luang Namtha and the Nam Ha NPA’s Biodiversity is the main objective of Ecotourism.