A tour trip to the hill tribe Lahu New Year festival
Specifically, it belongs to Lahu tribe and is also called Lahu Spring Festival. It also known as New Year, pronounced as ” Kuonihani ” in Lahu dialect, which they celebrate for 12-long days.
It lasts from the first day to the 12th day of the first lunar month for the tribe Lahu and the first Chinese Lunar month for the Spirit believer Lahu tribe. The Lahu, however, break down the festival into Bigger and Lesser festivals.
The bigger festival lasts from the first to the fifth of the first lunar month. The lesser Festival, known as ” Lahu Men’s Festival, last six-seventh days, from the seventh day to the fifteenth of the first lunar month.
Demonstrating the place of men in Lahu society and the value given gender equality the second festival for the men is either called the Lesser Festival or ” Men’s New Year’s Day.” And the former New Year’s Day is called ” the Bigger Festival ” or ” Women’s New Year’s Day.”
During the Spring Festival, every Lahu village holds a big “Lusheng dance” in which everyone, old and young, man and women, take part, in their traditional festival clothes. They gather in a clearing with several or even dozens of men in the center playing the Lusheng ( a reed pipe ) or leading the dance. Women, then, join their hands and form a circle around, dancing and singing to the rhythm of the music. As a group dance, the Lahus’ Lusheng Dance is very colorful. Some dances represents their working chores; others imitates the movements and gestures of animals. Because of its delicacy and passion, it is the most favored dance of the Lahu people.
In ancient times, the Lahu were often harased by other groups. In order to show their strength and defend their homeland, Lahu men often participated in military expeditions in faraway lands. When they came back in triumph, the New Year Festival was over. However, to celebrate their triumph and reunion, they had another New Year’s Day, which was celebrated with dancing and singing. This practice has been handed down from generation to generation until now.
During the Spring Festival, every Lahu village holds a big Lusheng dance. It is a big event that it features circle dancing around the spirit hut. It is led by a village shaman.
Every day, the dance usually starts at about 8 in the evening and last until 5 in the next morning. Plentiful of foods, drinks, fruits, snacks, are offered and served to neighbors, visitors and outsiders by the village families.
A Safari trip to the hill tribe New Year festival
Outsiders and visitors are warmly welcome to participate the New Year festival for as long as the New Year last, normally for about 12 days.
Daily activity: Tribal people dance all night long, starting from 8 pm until 5 am in the next morning. But there are times when people also dance day time for a special event. All the visitors will be asked to join for the dance.
Food and Lodging: foods are served all day and all nights long, 24 hours service. There will be plentiful of foods, drinks, fruits and snacks that are offered and served to neighbors, visitors and outsiders by the village households.
This Time of the year: Sunday, January 22, 2023
Starting date: yet to confirm; around Chinese New Year 2023, it rely on village Shaman.
Location: Lahu villages in Chiang Rai regions, northern Thailand
Safari trip pack: We have 4 trip packages as follow: We collect donations of individual visitor of any amount for the following Safari trip pack or visit.
Trip pacage 1: 2 days and 1 night
Trip package 2: 3 days and 2 nights
Trip package 3: 4 days and 3 nights
Trip package 4: 5 days and 4 nights
( if you like to stay through the festival as a whole for 10-12 days, kindly let us know ). We can arrange it for you.