Lifestyle of Hilltribes of Northern Thailand

Following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Jozan.net.

‘Textiles, costumes & dress codes have played an integral role as announcers of significant life events, in some cultures more than in others.

As I began my travel in Northern Thailand among the hill tribes, I gradually became aware of the predominant use of textiles to communicate sentiments and messages wordlessly.

The significance that textile articles hold in the lives of tribes is far more than that in the lives of settled and urbanized ethnic groups. Therefore these journeys of tribal discovery are extremely rewarding.

Given the fact that there are more tribes in South Asia alone (over 500) than there are countries in the world (195), it seems that the journey just begun, will not be completed in my lifetime!  The song from The Lion King  “There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done” captures my wistful sentiment about this journey perfectly…

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jm