trekking to the top Let's have a wonderful journy to a wonderful place.

It was just a short moment of those days that experienced me most and long-lasting.

A small bamboo hut on the top of the hill was where I spent and experienced the hill tribe ways of life. For more than 2 weeks on the hill with tribal folk and wild life. People there were lovely, friendly and sincere. I could feel it from their reaction and nice hospitality.

It’s in fact I came here for some purpose that was to do eco-tourism research for my study. That’s why my friends and I stayed at “Pumeun Village”, Chiangrai, Thailand.

The Musser believes in the soul, a house spirit, nature spirits and a supreme being who is administered to by a priest. Although many Mussers have now adopted Christianity, their own beliefs in a Supreme are being and many spirits remain strong.

A grand old man of the village said “The Musser long for the blessings of this life and the next, for things that are good and pleasant and in accordance with the message of an old legend, men are particularly caring of their partners.”

There are about 60,000 Lahu in Thailand. Thai people call the Lahu "Musser" because of their skills at hunting in the forest. They started arriving at the early of the twentieth century. Several different clans are distinguished by their dress.

The Musser tends to wear ordinary clothes for everyday life, reserving their costumes for ceremonial occasions. Even though, their traditional clothing is black with bold embroidered patterns and bands of cloth for decoration. The trims of sleeves, pockets and lapels are often decorated, with each subgroup using different colors.

One night, they showed and invited us to join their ceremony and dancing. Instead of using electrical light, they started their motorcycles to lighten the place. Music and dancing are an important part of most of hill tribe culture included Musser. They do a round dance and people of all ages, male and female partake in the dance, especially at the Musser (Chinese) New Year which occurs around the first full moon in February and lasts five days. Also we joined them at the dance. We follow the circle imitated them.