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  • An Akha Puxo shirt 'button' made from aluminium, Ban Bounphieng, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.  In the traditional Akha view art is something one wears and makes a statement which is ethnic, personal and aesthetic.
    A0020005cc_1.jpg
  • A 15 year old married Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman sewing outside her home in Ban Pang Hok Kao village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR.  She is wearing the Akha Nuquie traditional costume made from hand woven cotton and dyed with indigo and decoarated with hand embroidery typical of the Akha Nuquie sub-group; the high headdress distinguishes her as a married women. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013871cc_1.jpg
  • The remote and roadless Akha Nuquie village of Ban Peryenxangmai village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Lying in a cleared patch of the surrounding forest, typical Akha villages have houses which are made of bamboo and wood with thatched roofs and house 'horns' although increasingly houses now have corregated iron roofs. The Akha favour remote locations above the plains and valleys, generally 1000-1500 m high where there is plenty of forest cover.
    A0029006cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie village with traditional grass roofed houses in remote Ban Peryenxangmai village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Lying in a cleared patch of the surrounding forest, typical Akha villages have houses which are made of bamboo and wood with thatched roofs and house 'horns' although increasingly houses now have corregated iron roofs. The Akha favour remote locations above the plains and valleys, generally 1000-1500 m high where there is plenty of forest cover.
    A0028974cc_1.jpg
  • Freshly harvested bundles of grass drying in an Akha Nuquie village in remote and roadless Ban Peryenxangmai village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Lying in a cleared patch of the surrounding forest, typical Akha villages have houses which are made of bamboo and wood with thatched roofs and house 'horns' although increasingly houses now have corregated iron roofs. The Akha favour remote locations above the plains and valleys, generally 1000-1500m high where there is plenty of forest cover.
    A0029002cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of a 15 year old married Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman sewing outside her home in Ban Pang Hok Kao village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR.  She is wearing the Akha Nuquie traditional costume made from hand woven cotton and dyed with indigo and decoarated with hand embroidery typical of the Akha Nuquie sub-group; the high headdress distinguishes her as a married women. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013863cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie village of Ban Peryenxangkao freshly harvested roof grass and indigo dyed cotton hang out to dry, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Lying in a cleared patch of the surrounding forest, typical Akha villages have houses which are made of bamboo and wood with thatched roofs and house 'horns' although increasingly houses now have corregated iron roofs. The Akha favour remote locations above the plains and valleys, generally 1000-1500 m high where there is plenty of forest cover.
    DSCF4679cc_1.jpg
  • A portrait of an Akha Nuquie man in Ban Chalern, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Whilst Akha women still often wear their traditional clothing every day, men usually wear Western clothing.
    A0029015cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of a young Akha Nuquie woman wearing her traditional clothing at home in Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Her traditional costume is made from hand woven cotton and dyed with indigo and decoarated with hand embroidery typical of the Akha Nuquie sub-group; the high headdress distinguishes her as a married women. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0031138cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman spins cotton whilst waiting for the tractor to transport the bags of rice back to the village, Ban Nam Hin, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Akha women utilise every spare moment of the day to get something accomplished and can often be seen spinning cotton or embroidering a jacket everywhere from working on the farm to foraging in the forest.
    A0019917cc_1.jpg
  • Spindle for spinning cotton in an Akha Pouli ethnic minority village in Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. In some areas, Akha women still grow, gin and spin cotton into thread and set up their looms outdoors for weaving cotton.  One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A_11219cc_1.jpg
  • Child's fabric toy gecko made by the Akha Puxo women in Ban Papounkao, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Akha Biladjo is an independent project set up in 2003 by Cecile Pouget in Phongsaly Province. Using traditional skills Akha women create modern designs, to gain a sustainable income.
    A0015136_1.jpg
  • Portrait of two Akha Nuquie women wearing traditional clothing on their way to back to the village of Ban Peryenxangmai carrying firewood collected from the surrounding forest, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. The forest around an Akha village provides its inhabitants with a number of essential products including firewood, food and building materials.
    DSCF4697cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Ya-er woman and her daughter from Ban Houay Phod, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR collect crustaceans from under the rocks with a net in the Nam Pa river (a tributary of the Nam Ou) in Pak Nam Noi. For families living away from the main roads and markets, food caught or collected from the wild, especially edible plants and small animals still make up fifty per cent of their diet.  Nature’s bounty in providing for the Lao may be plentiful, but this does not mean that the task of growing and finding enough food for family subsistence and maintenance is easy. It is a major preoccupation of rural families and takes the bulk of time and energy of every man, woman and child.
    A0017115cc_1.jpg
  • Child's fabric toy bat made by the Akha Puxo women in Ban Papounkao, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Akha Biladjo is an independent project set up in 2003 by Cecile Pouget in Phongsaly Province. Using traditional skills Akha women create modern designs, to gain a sustainable income.
    A0015133_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie woman wearing her traditional costume on her way to back to the village of Ban Peryenxangmai with a roll of banana leaves collected from the forest, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. The forest around an Akha village provides its inhabitants with a number of essential products including firewood, food and building materials.
    DSCF4676cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie woman carries firewood home along the new road to the remote village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Whilst not affected directly by the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Dam 6 construction project, the village of Ban Chakhampa has benefitted from the new road passing by on the way to Ban Watai, a village which has recently been relocated due to the dam construction.
    DSCF4639cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman spins cotton whilst waiting for the tractor to transport the bags of rice back to the village, Ban Nam Hin, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Akha women utilise every spare moment of the day to get something accomplished and can often be seen spinning cotton or embroidering a jacket everywhere from working on the farm to foraging in the forest.
    A0019920cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman, carrying grass in a bamboo basket for making a house roof, spins cotton whilst walking back to the village, Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Akha women utilise every spare moment of the day to get something accomplished and can often be seen spinning cotton or embroidering a jacket everywhere from working on the farm to foraging in the forest.
    A0016317cc_1.jpg
  • After ginning (removing the seeds), an Akha Cherpia woman wearing traditional clothing rolls cotton into straw-like shapes to make it easy to spin, Ban Phi Mayai, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.  Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014293cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman sewing traditional clothing outside her home in Ban Nam Hin village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR.  One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014278cc_1.jpg
  • Freshly picked cotton dries outside on a plastic sheet in an Akha Pouli ethnic minority village in Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. In some areas, Akha women still grow, gin and spin cotton into thread. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A_11215cc_1.jpg
  • Villagers in the remote Akha Nuquie village of Ban Chakhampa watch construction traffic drive along the new road, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Whilst not affected directly by the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Dam 6 construction project, the village of Ban Chakhampa has benefitted from the new road passing by on the way to Ban Watai, a village which has recently been relocated due to the dam construction.
    DSCF4653cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Ya-er woman and her daughter from Ban Houay Phod, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR collect crustaceans from under the rocks with a net in the Nam Pa river (a tributary of the Nam Ou) in Pak Nam Noi. For families living away from the main roads and markets, food caught or collected from the wild, especially edible plants and small animals still make up fifty per cent of their diet.  Nature’s bounty in providing for the Lao may be plentiful, but this does not mean that the task of growing and finding enough food for family subsistence and maintenance is easy. It is a major preoccupation of rural families and takes the bulk of time and energy of every man, woman and child.
    A0017116cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, women's first task of the day is to collect water and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028936cc_1.jpg
  • A group of Akha Cherpia women and their children wearing a mixture of traditional and modern clothing in Ban Nam Hin village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR.  One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014224cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Ya-er woman from Ban Houay Phod, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR collects crustaceans from under the rocks using a net in the Nam Pa river (a tributary of the Nam Ou) in Pak Nam Noi. For families living away from the main roads and markets, food caught or collected from the wild, especially edible plants and small animals still make up fifty per cent of their diet.  Nature’s bounty in providing for the Lao may be plentiful, but this does not mean that the task of growing and finding enough food for family subsistence and maintenance is easy. It is a major preoccupation of rural families and takes the bulk of time and energy of every man, woman and child.
    A0017105cc_1.jpg
  • Che Le, an Akha Puxo ethnic minority woman sits outside her wooden home in Ban Nam Yang village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A_11207cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, women's first task of the day is to collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    DSCF4668cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Peryenxangmai, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, women's first task of the day is to collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028968cc_1.jpg
  • A married Akha Nuquie woman carries a bamboo basket filled with traditional bamboo water carriers full of water back to her village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0028946cc_1.jpg
  • A young Akha Pouli ethnic minority woman harvesting glutinous rice using a sickle, on an upland field, Ban Pichermai, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.  Compared to more modern sedentary lowland farmers, shifting cultivators generally use much fewer purchased inputs.  The main inputs are family labour, hand tools and seeds. Purchased fertilisers are never used on sloping land.
    A0019587rtcc_1.jpg
  • Liana 'jungle' vine (piat/piad in Lao) wound round a bamboo stick. Akha women twist Liana vine to make into a strong fibre for ‘crocheting’ into a traditional bag used by men and women for carrying items to and from the fields. Liana vine or ‘piat’ in Lao, is harvested from the forest, although these days it is becoming more difficult to find and many woman now use colourful synthetic thread.
    A 6579 rt_1_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029077cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie woman sewing her traditional clothing in Ban Phanghok, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0026051cc_1.jpg
  • After threshing the rice in the upland field, an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority couple transfer the grain into sacks to carry down to the village. Swidden cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A0019834cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Oma ethnic minority woman wearing her traditional clothing; Ban Sala Aebe, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. The Oma are one of Laos’ smallest ethnic groups with only a few villages in Phongsaly Province. Cotton growers, indigo dyers and exquisite embroiderers result in traditional clothing being both colourful and unique. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013823cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, young girls first task of the day is to collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
    A0016370cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029036cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman sews traditonal clothing whilst breastfeeding her baby son in Ban Nam Sa village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014238cc_1.jpg
  • An elderly Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman smokes tobacco with a pipe in Ban Huay Ou village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014047cc_1.jpg
  • View of Ban Lao Khao Akha Pouli ethnic minority village and the plain of Muang Sing, Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR
    08-07_1_1.jpg
  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, young girls first task of the day is collect water using a plastic scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
    A0016391cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman prepares to begin weaving homegrown cotton on her loom outside her home in Ban Phi Mayai village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014386cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Oma man from Ban Na Nam village harvests his hill rice. Slash and burn cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao PDR consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A_11316cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha woman twists Liana vine to make into a strong fibre for ‘crocheting’ into a traditional bag used by men and women for carrying items to and from the fields. Liana vine or ‘piat’ in Lao, is harvested from the forest, although these days it is becoming more difficult to find and many woman now use colourful synthetic thread.
    07-11_1_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029038cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha subsistence farmer scrapes resin from an illegally grown opium poppy head into a metal container in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0028987cc_1.jpg
  • Wearing her traditional headwear, an elderly Akha Cherpia woman feeds her ducks with rice in Ban Cha Wang, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR.
    A0020558cc_1.jpg
  • After drying on the upland field for several days, an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman threshes the rice sheaves with a wooden threshing tool to remove the grain before carrying back to the village in sacks.  Swidden cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A0019855cc_1.jpg
  • After drying on the upland field for several days, an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority man threshes the rice sheaves with a wooden threshing tool to remove the grain before carrying it back to the village in sacks.  Swidden cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A0019810cc_1.jpg
  • A young Akha Pouli ethnic minority woman harvesting glutinous rice using a sickle, on an upland field, Ban Pichermai, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.  Compared to more modern sedentary lowland farmers, shifting cultivators generally use much fewer purchased inputs.  The main inputs are family labour, hand tools and seeds. Purchased fertilisers are never used on sloping land.
    A0019611cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of Lo Mia, an young Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman, Ban Nam Hin, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. She is wearing part of her tradition costume (headwear) and handwoven cotton indigo dyed mini-skirt along with a modern pink Mickey Mouse sweatshirt. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0019088cc_1.jpg
  • A portrait of an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman  wearing part of her traditional headdress and modern clothing in Ban Nam Hin, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014283cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman washes her young daugher outside her bamboo home in Ban Km 62 village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013900cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing pauses whilst scoring illegally grown opium poppies in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029078cc_1.jpg
  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, young girls first task of the day is collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
    A0016364cc_1.jpg
  • A typical Akha village primary school classroom in a remote village, Ban Huayana Khang, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR.
    13-06_1_1.jpg
  • An Akha woman illegally trading in wildlife from villages along the Nam Ou river, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    DSCF2190cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029090cc_1.jpg
  • After drying on the upland field for several days, an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman threshes the rice sheaves with a wooden threshing tool to remove the grain before carrying back to the village in sacks.  Swidden cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A0019868cc_1.jpg
  • An elderly Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman smokes tobacco with a pipe in Ban Huay Ou village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014053cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing pauses whilst scoring illegally grown opium poppies in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029088cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
    A0029056cc_1.jpg
  • A young girl wearing a headskarf in the remote Akha Nuquie village of Ban Peryenxangmai, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Whilst there is a small primary school in Ban Peryenxangmai not all children are able to attend as their parents cannot afford the fees and need them to work at home or take care of younger siblings.
    A0029008cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Nuquie woman and her baby in Ban Phanghok, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0026059cc_1.jpg
  • After drying on the upland field for several days, an Akha Cherpia ethnic minority woman threshes the rice sheaves with a wooden threshing tool to remove the grain before carrying back to the village in sacks.  Swidden cultivation or ’hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
    A0019882cc_1.jpg
  • A young Akha Pouli ethnic minority woman harvesting glutinous rice using a sickle, on an upland field, Ban Pichermai, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.  Compared to more modern sedentary lowland farmers, shifting cultivators generally use much fewer purchased inputs.  The main inputs are family labour, hand tools and seeds. Purchased fertilisers are never used on sloping land.
    A0019596cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Eupa ethnic minority woman breastfeeding her baby son in Ban Sa Nam Yang Pa village, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0014428rtcc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of a young Akha Ya-er woman wearing her traditional headdress selling cucumbers that she has grown herself at Pak Nam Noi market, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013613cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of a Akha Ya-er woman wearing her traditional headdress at Pak Nam Noi market, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013612cc_1.jpg
  • Liana or jungle vine wound round a bamboo stick from the Akha Pouli village of Ban Lao Khao, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. Liana vine makes a strong fibre for ‘crocheting’ into a traditional bag used by men and women for carrying items to and from the fields. Liana vine or ‘piat’ in Lao, is harvested from the forest, although these days it is becoming more difficult to find and many woman now use colourful synthetic thread.
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  • An Akha Nuquie subsistence farmer wearing her traditional clothing scores illegally grown opium poppies using a 4 bladed tool in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
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  • The son of an Akha subsistence farmer plays in an illegal opium poppy field in Phongsaly province, Lao PDR.
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  • An Akha Nuquie woman sewing her traditional clothing in Ban Phanghok, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0026055cc_1.jpg
  • After drying on the upland field for several days, an Akha Cherpia family thresh the rice sheaves to remove the grain which will then be put into sacks and carried back to the village. Swidden cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation.
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  • A young boy runs through the Akha Cherpia ethnic minority village of Ban Cha Wang, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Remote and isolated and accessible only by motorcycle or on foot, Ban Cha Wang has recently received electricity for the first time from solar panels.
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  • A young Akha Pouli boy from Ban Picherkao with a bird he has caught with a trap, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. For families living away from the main roads and markets, food caught or collected from the wild, especially edible plants and small animals still make up fifty per cent of their diet.  Nature’s bounty in providing for the Lao may be plentiful, but this does not mean that the task of growing and finding enough food for family subsistence and maintenance is easy. It is a major preoccupation of rural families and takes the bulk of time and energy of every man, woman and child.
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  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, young girls first task of the day is collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
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  • In the remote and roadless Akha Nuquie ethnic minority village of Ban Chakhampa, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, young girls first task of the day is collect water using a plastic scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
    A0016362cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Pouli ethnic minority woman sitting inside her home in Ban Poulee Kow village, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
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  • Akha women dressed in their traditional clothing made from handspun indigo dyed cotton at a wedding in Ban Lang Pa village, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
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  • An Akha ethnic minority woman winnows rice on a bamboo basket to get rid of the debris before cooking, Ban Phou Yae village, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR
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  • An Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman sits in a local boat waiting to travel along the Nam Ou river to the her home in the roadless village of Phou-Yot, three hours walk from the river, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR
    A0024679cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha woman dressed in traditional clothing made from handspun indigo dyed cotton at a wedding in Ban Lang Pa village, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
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  • An Akha couple dressed in Lao style clothing at their wedding in Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR.
    DSCF4685cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha subsistence farmer scores opium poppies in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. After the petals fall from the opium poppy, the heads are incised with a 4 bladed tool; the tool is used to score the skin lightly from top to bottom. During the day, the sap oozes out of the cuts and hangs in tears on the poppy head. The next day the sap is then scraped into a metal container. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2011 the area under opium poppy cultivation has doubled and continues to rise.
    A0016447cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha woman dressed in traditional clothing made from handspun indigo dyed cotton at a wedding in Ban Lang Pa village, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    DSCF4675cc_1 (1).jpg
  • An Akha man from a nearby village working on the construction of the new village of Ban Sam Sang, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Four Laoseng ethnic minority villages will be relocated permanently to this new village before the end of 2015 due to the construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 6.
    A0031121cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha Nuquie ethnic minority woman travels in a local boat along the Nam Ou river to the her home in roadless village of Phou-Yot, three hours walk from the river, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR
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  • An Akha woman putting on her traditional headdress before a village wedding, Ban Lang Pa, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. Made from hand forged silver, coins, handwoven cotton, market bought cotton, plastic beads, bamboo, cowrie shells and woollen tassels women would traditionally wear their headdress even while bathing, sleeping and working in the fields.
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  • An elderly Akha ethnic minority woman weaving cotton fabric to make traditional clothing, Ban Lakham, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
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  • Dried bamboo shoots sold by Akha women from Laos at Mengban market, Yunnan province, China
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  • Close up of an Akha women’s headdress made from hand forged silver, coins, handwoven cotton, market bought cotton, plastic beads, bamboo, cowrie shells and woollen tassels. Traditionally, women would wear their headdress even while bathing, sleeping and working in the fields. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    DSCF4671cc_1 2.jpg
  • An Akha woman wearing her traditional headdress at Meung Long market, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. Made from hand forged silver, coins, handwoven cotton, market bought cotton, plastic beads, bamboo, cowrie shells and woollen tassels women would traditionally wear their headdress even while bathing, sleeping and working in the fields.
    DSCF4624cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha subsistence farmer scores opium poppies in an upland field in remote Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. After the petals fall from the opium poppy, the heads are incised with a 4 bladed tool; the tool is used to score the skin lightly from top to bottom. During the day, the sap oozes out of the cuts and hangs in tears on the poppy head. The next day the sap is then scraped into a metal container. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2011 the area under opium poppy cultivation has doubled and continues to rise.
    A0016460cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha man from a nearby village working on the construction of the new village of Ban Sam Sang, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Four Laoseng ethnic minority villages will be relocated permanently to this new village before the end of 2015 due to the construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower project.
    A0031125cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha couple dressed in Lao style clothing at their wedding Baci in Ban Lang Pa village, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. Baci is a Buddhist ceremony to celebrate a special event such as a marriage.
    DSCF4694cc_1.jpg
  • An Akha woman putting on her traditional headdress before a village wedding, Ban Lang Pa, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. Made from hand forged silver, coins, handwoven cotton, market bought cotton, plastic beads, bamboo, cowrie shells and woollen tassels women would traditionally wear their headdress even while bathing, sleeping and working in the fields.
    DSCF4653cc_1 (1).jpg
  • An Akha couple dressed in Lao style clothing at their wedding in Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR.
    DSCF4710cc_1.jpg
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