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Flower Hmong Tribe, Viet Nam
“Joy”
Hmong means “free people”. They fled from China and live in the high areas of Viet Nam and neighboring countries. They are one of the most impoverished groups in Viet Nam partly because of the poor farm land where they live.
The Flower Hmong wear brightly colored clothing which can be purchased at their weekly markets which are a sea of color. They bring the goods they're selling on the backs of horses, mules or by bus depending on where they live and what they can afford. Their weekly markets are a social time as well. Very young children are tied to the backs of their mothers with a length of cloth.
Sugar cane is their candy. You cut off a length of raw sugar cane, peel it with a sharp knife and suck the juice while chewing it.
The children who are lucky enough to attend school go for only a couple of days. Many of the girls are lucky if they go for 2 years. They're needed at home and an education is not seen as beneficial for them.
Wedding celebrations there last for 3 days. Two fellow travelers and I were fortunate enough to attend the first day of one. We arrived at the wedding with a guide, on the back of motorcycles which are the local taxi.
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