Picture of the Week – 22.12.14 Hmong New Year
By Tessa Bunney on 22 December 2014The Hmong ethnic minority in Laos belong to several different sub-groups – the remote mountain villages I have spent time in this year photographing their traditional hemp processing activities are Hmong Du (Black Hmong), Mong Njua (Green Mong) and Hmong Krua Ba (Striped Sleeved Hmong).
This week Hmong New Year is being celebrated in the Hmong Der (White Hmong) villages around Vientiane. No traditional hemp skirts here, the New Year costumes are modern, bright, colourful, synthetic and anything goes! Long, short, tight, loose, all colours of the rainbow, more variations of the traditional than you could ever imagine. And the shoes…
It’s a time for the young women to dress up, be noticed and be photographed.
A photographic studio complete with opium poppy backdrop!
