The Lu People

Most of the 6,000 Lu in Vietnam live in northwestern province Lai Chau, which shares a border with China (where the Lu people also live but are counted as the Dai ethnic group). You’ll also find Lu in large numbers in Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. The Lu cultivate rice and grow corn, potatoes, and cassava (the root from which tapioca is extracted). They also weave and dye fabric. The Lu wear hand-woven, hand-dyed cotton blouses, skirts, turbans, and, on holidays, dresses. The pieces are embroidered with intricate patterns and topped off with heavy silver jewelry. In the last few years, several Lu villages have seen an influx of tourists, with visitors snapping up the Lu’s beautifully embroidered dresses and headscarves. While eschewed by the younger generation, tooth-dyeing—coloring the teeth entirely black—is popular with the over-30 Lus. In Vietnam, the group speaks Tai Lu and standard Vietnamese.