Hmong New Years In Ban Phu Leuy, Laos

Watching this video makes me sad because the shaman guiding all the Hmong (close relatives in the small remote mountaintop village of Ban Phu Leuy) in this ceremony of walking around the "tree" one way to discard all the bad things from the past year and then reversing direction to greet the new year, died about two years after the last time I was in the village. And his younger brother, the "young" man dressed in traditional Hmong black also died about a year later.. Very sad. But my life has been greatly enriched by being able to spend time in this village and get to know more of my "Hmong extended family" here.

I spent a Christmas eve night and Christmas night in the shaman's home and I'll never, ever forget Christmas eve night when I was sleeping on a wooden platform and I woke up to see the shaman lying on his side only about five feet away from me, with the fire on his opposite side and he was smoking an opium pipe. He was the patriarch for this family and when I visited he always welcomed me with open arms, they all did. When Christmas comes I always think of my Hmong family in Ban Phu Leuy.

As a photographer my inclination was to not be directly involved, but I was told since I was "family" I had to join them, and so you see me there, the "giant" walking with all these Hmong and trying to take some photos. Luckily I came with a Lao friend to translate for me and he took the video you're watching here. There is no commercial or "flea market" aspect here, this is the real deal.

Obviously I'm not Hmong and if anyone can give a fuller explanation to the meaning of this ceremony I'll add it to the description. For me YouTube videos are all about educating people and developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the world and cultures around them.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Laos
• Hmong
• New Year
• traditional

[thoraz997]

@Tomlee41 It should start with you....YOU ARE FUCKING OLD MAN, YOU GO TO LAOS ON YOU SEXUAL ESCAPADES...AND YOU WANT TO TELL THE REST OF THE WORLD ABOUT HYGIENE? PLEASE...STOP BRINGING STD TO THE WEST.

[nyobkevdeb]

ZOO KAWG, UA TSAUG TSO TAWM

[mnlkv]

thanks for the cultural awareness. I appreciate ur work! Keep doing what ur doing. Every culture needs to be preserved.

[HenryDavidT]

To second Tomlee41: if Hmong were taught better hygiene, many common viral & bacteria-related infections & illnesses would greatly diminish. Dipping a spoon, that has just been taken out of someone's mouth, into a big common pot/bowl should stop. There should be a big spoon everyone uses to carry food from a big pot into one's plate or bowl. Eating raw meat is another problem. While it's "not a polite thing" to point them out, observing more hygienic things like these would make Hmong healthier.

[Tomlee41]

we need to educate our hill tribe people to take care their own hygiene.

[HmongGuitarPlayer]

how do the guy with the chicken get a suit and have no shoes?something wrong buddy,go put sandals on.

[VoiceOpinion]

Nice to hear that you're willing to help, but I'm sure these hmong people are self sustaining, they don't need help. A few dollars wouldn't hurt too...haha

[MrTublaib]

kwv tij hmoob cas nej yuav txiv hlub ua luaj li os...hmoob lub neej uas txom 2 nyem...ib txwm.

[McGavernVue]

wow nice look at all these warriors makes me have pride of who i am but sad how i cant help them out to substantiate there living style. Someday if life and goals work according to plan im going to help all my hmong people.and also remember my name yall.

[nraughmooblis01]

peb me haiv hmoob aw... peb tuaj nyob luag lub teb chaw no los tseem nco nco nej kawg os.