‘World Theme Travel – When It Rains, Laos!’ Part 1 ‘First Release, Unknown Talian Tribe’ will be broadcast on EBS1 TV today (23rd) at 8:40 PM.
A new landscape we didn’t know about unfolds in the rain. When it rains, it’s Laos!
Are you hesitant to travel during the rainy season? No, it’s better! When it rains, a new door to Laos opens. Find the unique scenery that can only be seen during the rainy season! A trip to Laos in the rain
The land of the Talian tribe, the unknown tribe shrouded in mystery, Sekong
The Real Life of Laotians in the Rainy Season Vang Vieng, Si Phan Don
If you need a break on a rainy day, Luang Prabang
How Laotians Survive the Long Rainy Season Pakse, Luang Prabang
Come to Laos during the rainy season! You will discover the true face of Laos that you have never seen before.
It’s time to meet a new Laos we didn’t know about! The journey begins in Sekong Province. Sekong is a land called ‘Homeland of Minorities’ where various ethnic minorities live while preserving their traditions. Surrounded by steep mountains, Sekong is a place that is even more difficult to access during the rainy season. However, there is a reason why I really wanted to come here. The goal of this trip is to meet the ethnic minorities who live in the so-called ‘mushroom houses’!
A trip to find an unknown tribe, with just one photo. Arriving at Dak Cheung in Sekong Province, I started asking around. I found out about the way to the ethnic minority village of Dak Dom. I rode a cultivator, the only means of transportation, along the steep, muddy road created by the rainy season to the village.
Finally, we meet the unknown minority, the Talian people! Their lifestyle, which had not been revealed to the world, is revealed for the first time. We take a look at the Talian houses, including the large mushroom-shaped roof that can easily last 15 years, the first floor space that is used as a storage space for farming tools or firewood, and the central hearth that is used for heating and cooking. Meanwhile, on one side of the village, the young people are making something. They are all making the altar, ‘Trom’, and the flagpole, ‘Neng’, for the traditional wedding that will be held the next day. Although they are clumsy, they help out and become absorbed into the Talian culture.
The next morning, the wedding in the rain began. The Talian people believe in ‘animism’, which believes that spirits reside in nature, and worship their ancestors. Their traditional wedding scene is filled with special rituals that I have never seen before. The first part is a healing ritual led by a village priest called ‘Pra’. This ritual, which is said to drive away illness and pray for recovery, is the last lifeline for the villagers who live in the mountains and do not even have a proper hospital. After the healing ritual, the whole village gathers and shares ‘cassava makgeolli’, a Laotian style of rice wine, made by sticking long pipes into a jar and eating it, and instead of giving congratulatory money, they pile firewood on the newlyweds’ house to express their blessings.
After a while, the most important ceremony of the wedding begins. It is a ceremony to sacrifice a buffalo, to bless the newlyweds who are starting a new life, and to pray for the prosperity of the village. The villagers take turns stabbing the buffalo tied to the wedding altar, ‘Trom’, with spears, and the buffalo slowly dies. Finally, the Taliang people throw rice and silk threads on the altar, hoping that their prayers will be answered. We will see the most unique and devout wedding ceremony that we have ever seen. We hope that the soul of the buffalo that was sacrificed will rest in peace after the ceremony, and that the prayers of the Taliang people will reach heaven and that their tribe will prosper even more.
Photo courtesy of reporter Park Yu-mi = EBS World Theme Travel
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2024-09-23 12:59:54