Laos (1) 老撾 （1）

Link to previous post: Xishuangbanna 

链接到上一篇：西雙版納

I know it’s downright silly to attempt summarising a country’s history in a hundred words; but let’s do anyways. It’s the internet age you see. Laos shares a rich diversity of ethnicity with neighbouring China, comprising dozens of ethnic groups. From the 6th to 13th century, the region was settled by mostly Chinese and Kmur. Hinayana Buddhism was introduced in the 14th Century, and quickly gained prominence through compassionate talks rather than bloody crusades. Mountain tribes are roughly demarcated by altitude into high, middle and low clusters, though low altitude mountain tribes are technically not so mountainous aren’t they?  Here we go: nine centuries recapped in a hundred words.

用三兩百字去概論一個國家的歷史，是荒誕行為。但在互聯網活動，非要這樣。否則沒有朋友，沒有讀者，哪來順手 「贊」 呢？老撾的人口成分跟毗鄰的雲南相似，比較豐富，由幾十個部族組成。於六到十三世紀期間，游移到老撾定居的民族主要來自中國山區和高棉地帶。小乘佛教自十四世紀傳入，很快被接受，從沒有搞過十字軍式的屠殺來釋放靈魂。導遊說山地民族一般按聚居的高度分為低，中，高，三類。不過把在低地生活的人划成 「山地人」，似乎有些矛盾。反正九百年的一段日子，就這樣被我三言兩語歸納啦！

The mountain villages are fog locked every morning 每天早上被浓雾困锁的山区寨村

Khmu village house 高棉裔孟族民居

A proven method to raise allergy-free children  現代研究證實：與牲畜同居是預防敏感症的最佳方法

A mineral which locals eat when there's nothing else available. It tastes like mud. 飢荒時可供頂肚的石頭，味同嚼泥

Hmong mother and child 苗族母亲和小孩

Hmong mother and child 苗族母亲和小孩

Boatman on Mekong River 湄公河上的船家

 

Boatman's Daughter  船家的小宝贝

Kid from Paksong Market 占巴塞省的 Paksong 市场

Dried fish in Paksong Market  Paksong 市場的乾魚

I thought I could eat anything until I saw this popular fish sludge in the market

這魚醬在市場十分普遍，但賣相驚人。連我這個自以為什麼都吞得下的人也投降！


Link to next episode: Laos(2) - The Bombed People. 
Believe it or not, a poor and tiny country like Laos, like all countries which once supported the USA, eventually became a huge threat to America, a giant axis of evil, and the most bombed country in human history.

鏈接到下回：老撾（2）：被瘋狂轟炸的人民
信不信由你，老撾這幾百萬人的山區貧窮小國，曾經親美，後來照例被大美帝國視為眼中釘，超邪惡軸心，成為歷史上最被瘋狂轟炸的國家。