Ban Long Lan
By Tessa Bunney on 6 September 2012So yesterday we made a trip to Ban Long Lan, a village in the mountains about an hour and half away from Luang Prabang where many of the Hmong women I met this week originally came from. I had been warned that the road would be bumpy and muddy and we may not actually get there given the recent rain. However, the road whilst steep and windy in places did not have a pot hole in sight having been recently fixed. Not a particularly good day for views but this gives an idea of the journey through the mountains.
Road to Ban Long Lan
The first person we met was Mr Kong Meng and we spent some time with him talking about the village past and present.
Originally an opium growing village, many of the villagers were relocated to villages near Luang Prabang several years ago to stop them growing opium poppies and subsequently started working in the handicraft business. With the improved road the village now has a thriving trade in supplying vegetables to the markets in town. Every day several ‘middle men’ arrive to collect the vegetables grown on the former opium fields.
In many ways the village looks timeless with horses used to transport the vegetables from the fields and many traditional Hmong houses with pigs, chickens, dogs and children wandering wherever they please. But with the arrival of electricity and piped water as well as a sustainable income the standard of living has improved dramatically in the last couple of years.
Large families of up to 10 children still seemed to be the norm but whereas in the past they would automatically help out on the family farm many families we spoke to had some of their children studying at high school or university in Luang Prabang. The expectation is that they will remain working in the town when they finish their education.
We spent the day in the village chatting to the villagers, observing daily life and ran out of time to visit the fields or surrounding area but really looking forward to returning soon.
