ABSTRACT
In the mountains that cover north Thailand, north Laos and north Vietnam live a number of different ethnic groups gathered under the vague term of 'hill tribes'. One of these, the Yao, have settled relatively recently in this area, after a century-long, slow migration from the Ho Nan and Yunnan provinces of China. The Yao's real name is 'Mien'. Strong Chinese influences are evident: they use Chinese characters in writing their mythical history, their genealogies and much of their poetry. The Chinese influence is also felt in a certain 'refinement' of life that seems absent in the other groups living in the same mountains. It's also deliciously evident in their food.
