Hmong or Meo

The Hmong or Meo are -among the minority groups- the most widespread; they live all over the regions in South-China, Vietnam, Laos and in Thailand. The Chinese speaking Hmong are the second largest ethnic minority group, which live in the northern provinces of Thailand. The Hmong have their settlements at the altitudes of 1,000-2,000 meters above the sea level. They make their living out of shifting cultivation, growing rice for their own consumption and maize for livestock feeding. Opium poppy used to be their principal cash crop. The Hmong have the extended family structure, and polygamy is widely practiced. Family is the most important social unit for them, both socially and economically. After the family comes the clan, in which paternal line is paid more attention. Like the Chinese, the Hmong practice ancestor worship. They celebrate their New Year in December.