Muang Sing

Lying on the broad river plains of the Nam La northwest of Luang Nam Tha, Muang Sing is a small town that grows on you by the hour. Its main appeal is a confluence of cultures – a traditional Thai Lü and Thai Neua cultural nexus, it’s also a trade centre for Thai Dam, Akha, Hmong, Mien, Lolo and Yunnanese. This makes for some colourful people scenery in town, and traditional garb is a mainstay here. It’s a utopia for trigger-happy photographers, but gaining permission for all shots will ensure a much more rewarding visit.

Beyond the town limits lies a bucolic mantle of rice paddies and quiet bâan, framed by hilly monsoon forest to the south and rising mountains to the north. It’s magical territory to explore, particularly for culture junkies.
One of the arms of the ‘China Road’ passes through Muang Sing on its way to Mengla in Yunnan Province, China, and the area has come under a lot of Chinese influence since the 1960s. Visiting Chinese soldiers can be seen strutting around the streets and even some local hill-tribe men wear olive-drab Mao hats. Most telling is the presence of Chinese tractors, often bearing Chinese licence tags and transporting goods and people back and forth from the Chinese border – sugar cane to China, garlic and onions to Muang Sing.