Written by Vong
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13 January 2010
Located in the northern part of Laos, Luang Namtha shares its northwestern border with Myanmar and its northeastern border with China. It is an attractive place for tourists interested in environment, social, cultural and historical sites, which renders this province as a prime site for sustainable cultural and ecotourism. The forests are dense, especially in the protected areas (NBCA).
The province is mountainous, home to large numbers of minorities. The area is populated by a variety of different ethnic groups. They consist of Khamu, Akha, Hmong, and Yao (Mien). Besides the province also consist of the lowland Lao, Tai Lue, Thai Neua and Thai Dam who live in villages just outside the protected area and the historic town of Muang Sing. Muang Sing originally formed part of group of principalities loosely linked under the leadership of political entity called the Sipsongpanna whose political seat centered in southern Yunnan province, China.
This province has a picturesque beauty with mountains, and many old temples. Although many tem-ple sites have been destroyed during the war, there still remains one major attraction, and old temple noticeably from other classical temples. UNESCO is funding an ecotourism project in Luang Namtha that will be capable of ensuring sustainable development in the province. The concept of the project is to provide education, conservation, management and sustainable economic benefits for the local population.
The Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area is located in the southwest of Luang Namtha - a pristine habitat of dense tropical rainforest covering almost all of the protected area. Wild cattle (gaur and banteng), Asian wild dogs, tigers, clouded leopard, bears and gibbons also having in the forests and there is still a large bird population. Southwest of Luang Namtha, the still pristine forests of Nam Ha protected area with varieties of wildlife and vegetation can be found.
