Bamboo Paper Making
District: Namtha, Sing
Ethnic Groups: Lanten, Yao
Description: Lanten people make paper from bamboo for use in their annual new year ceremony and writing religious texts. Along the Nam Dee River in Nam Dee Village, you may be able to see women making traditional paper, which takes place during the dry season typically. You can visit Nam Dee Village on the Luang Namtha Valley Route. You can also see paper making in Lanten villages along treks, including Ban Nam Lue and Ban Nam Koy. In Muang Sing, you can visit Oudomsin Village, a Yao village located near the Adima Guesthouse.
Indigo Dying
District: Namtha
Ethnic Groups: Lanten
Description: Lanten women wear a distinctive dark blue/black indigo-dyed tunic with matching knee length tightly fitting trousers. Natural white-colored cotton cloth is dyed a dark blue/black color using natural indigo. You can see dying and drying outside houses and along the river. You can visit Nam Dee Village on the Luang Namtha Valley Route. You can also see paper making in Lanten villages along treks, including Ban Nam Lue and Ban Nam Koy.
Weaving
District: Namtha, Sing
Ethnic Groups: Tai Daeng, Tai Khao, Tai Yuan, Tai Lue
Description: Cotton and silk weaving can be see in many of the Tai ethnic villages around Luang Namtha and Muang Sing valleys. There is a weaving center in Phieng Ngam Village, where you can learn how to weave and do natural dying. You can visit Phieng Ngam and other weaving villages on the Luang Namtha Valley Route. In Muang Sing you can see Tai Dam weaving and textile production in Ban Nong Boua and Ban Xieng Yun.
Embroidery
District: Sing, Namtha
Ethnic Groups: Yao, Hmong, Lanten
Description: Close to the Adima and Ban Nammdaet Mai in Muang Sing is a Yao village, Ban Oudomsin, which has developed a small handicrafts cooperative that offers a good selection of traditional Yao textiles made with embroidery. Lanten embroidery, which is similar to Yao embroidery in color and style, can be found at Nam Dee Village on the Luang Namtha Valley Route, and Nam Lue village on the Ban Nalan Trek. Hmong embroidery is quite different from Yao and Lanten designs, and can be seen being done by women outside their houses in Hat Yao Village on the Luang Namtha Valley Route.
Basketry
District: Nalae, Vieng Phoukha, Namtha, Sing, Long
Ethnic Groups: Akha, Khmu, Hmong
Description: Each ethnic group has its own unique style of basketry. The Akha and Khmu are well known for making sturdy baskets with head straps for carrying thing as well as small stools. You can visit the Akha Village Nammat Mai Village near That Poum Pouk along the Luang Namtha Valley Route. Hmong baskets use shoulder straps instead of head straps. You can visit Hat Yao Village along the Luang Namtha Valley Route to see Hmong baskets.
