The Chinese call the Lantan "the indigo people" because of the clothing they wear. In Laos and Yunnan province in China the women wear long indigo tunics which cover tight-fitting pants that come to their knees; the trim of their clothes is a hot pink. The men wear long-sleeved indigo shirts and light blue pants.

Population and Location

The Lantan, who are also known as Lantien, live in Luang Nam Tha province of northwestern Laos. Some 24 villages with a total population of 3,600 have been confirmed. The Lao call them Lao Huay which means "river people," presumably because their villages are always near rivers. Some Lan-tan are known to live in Yunnan province in China, where they call themselves the Mun or "mankind" in their own language. It has been reported that about 100,000 people speak the Kim Mun dialect, but the exact population size of Lan-tan in China is not known. The Lantan are a sub-group of the Yao in China and Thailand (where they refer to themselves as Mien). They are also known to live in North Vietnam, Myanmar, and Hainan island of China.

Language

The Lantan belong to the Maio-Yao linguistic family. Their language is closely related to Iu Mien. While many Lantan say they understand Iu Mien though they cannot speak Mien, the Mien people generally cannot understand the Lantan language. Lantan is a written language with a script that is similar to pre-Revolution Chinese characters. Their writings appear to be confined to poetry used in religious documents and civil codes.

Livelihood

The Lantan economy is based on agriculture. Staple crops are upland rice and/or maize, which are cultivated by slash-and-burn farming. The Lan-tien grow their own cotton for making clothes. They also grow the plants necessary for the indigo dye and collect various roots which serve as a fixer in the dying process. Some Lantan are merchants. Their women make and sell colorfully decorated handicrafts and embroidery.

Religion

The Lantan are animists. They believe in a pantheon of spirits associated with thunder, clouds, fire, water, earth, sky, rivers, mountains, seas and fields, all of which a re believed to have an influence on human beings. The Lantan of Laos have also been influenced by Taoism. There are no known Christians among the Lantan in China or elsewhere.

Christianity

Missionary work is not officially permitted in Laos. However, a number of expatriate believers are ministering through non-governmental organizations administering aid and relief. Pray for a reopened door for pioneer church planters and Bible teachers into Laos.