The 2025 Iu Mien - Yao Music Festival is on in Chiang Saen.
The dates: 17-18 April 2025.
Note this is not the annual Iu Mien Festival that has featured on GTR here.
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It seems to be a straight music festival.
The 2025 Iu Mien Festival was held in Chiang Rai in February.
Iu Mien Cultural Festival
The “Iu Mien Cultural Festival” was conceived several years ago and finally born in April 2017 at the Mekong Giant Catfish Pier in Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province. The festival was nurtured by its creators, along with family members and neighbors, growing into a beloved event. This joy extended to relatives in other provinces and even spread to those living abroad.
In its early years, up to the age of three, the creators and the community in Chiang Rai made significant efforts, through trial and error, to ensure the festival developed robustly.
Recognising the challenges faced by the Chiang Rai community, relatives in Nan Province took over the festival’s care.
Despite the deep affection from Chiang Rai, they entrusted the festival to their kin in Nan to ensure its continued growth.
During its time in Nan, the festival thrived, receiving warm hospitality and care. It became well-known among the Iu Mien community both in Thailand and abroad. Its unique charm attracted various government agencies, which began to support and promote its further development.
After three years in Nan, the festival’s reputation had grown significantly. The community in Phayao Province expressed a desire to host it. Thus, after its tenure in Nan, the festival moved to Phayao for a year. At eight years old, the festival was vibrant and lively, leading to occasional disagreements among its caretakers, perhaps due to its increasing popularity.
Ultimately, the community in Nan retrieved the festival, acknowledging that it had been away from its birthplace for four years. The creators in Chiang Rai, missing the festival dearly, wished for its return. Despite their deep affection, the Nan community agreed to send the festival back to its origins.
Upon its return to Chiang Rai, a warm welcome was organized, with relatives from various provinces and abroad joining in the celebration. Representatives from Nan attended in large numbers to congratulate the Chiang Rai community.
The recent event was heartwarming, bringing tears to many. We deeply appreciate and commend the Chiang Rai community for their dedication in organizing such a grand and warm reception for the “Iu Mien Cultural Festival.”
The festival’s charm has even attracted Iu Mien relatives from abroad, who wish to host it for a year, with preparations already underway.
As the festival matures, entering a phase requiring more resources, we call upon the Iu Mien community to support its continued development. Let’s ensure it grows with quality and value, reflecting the unique Iu Mien identity, benefiting future generations.
February 10, 2025
Mr. Somchai Rungrachatawanich
Chairman of the Iu Mien Thai Foundation, Second Term
The dates: 17-18 April 2025.
Note this is not the annual Iu Mien Festival that has featured on GTR here.
2024 Iu Mien Festival - Phayao
The 6th Annual Iu Mien Festival In 2024 the festival is on in Phayao city by the lake. The Dates: 16-18 February 2024 Previous Iu MIen Festivals on GTR https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/the-1st-mien-yao-festival-at-chiang-khong-for-songkran-2018.14707/...
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The 1st Mien / Yao Festival At Chiang Khong For Songkran 2018
The rumour was 2,000 hill tribe people in Chiang Khong for a hill tribe festival at Songkran in 2018. Wow that sounds something to behold, but getting precise details of the event to be was another matter. The dates however were reported to be 17-18 April 2018, basically at the end of...
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The 2019 - 2nd Annual Yao / Iu Mien Festival - Chiang Khong
8-9 February 2019 saw the second annual ethnic Yao / Mien hill tribe festival in Chiang Khong with hundreds of Mien people coming together for a regional get together. The 2019 event was significantly bigger than the 1st one held in 2018. The 1st Mien / Yao Festival At Chiang Khong For...
www.gt-rider.com
Nan - the 2022 Iu Mien / Yao Festival
Jurgen the GTR photographer maestro had a tip off a few weeks ago for another annual Iu Mien / Yao ethnic festival.... These annual Iu Mien meetings have been going for several years, exactly how many I'm not sure, but there have been 2 in Chiang Khong & 1 in Chiang Rai that I know of...
www.gt-rider.com
It seems to be a straight music festival.
The 2025 Iu Mien Festival was held in Chiang Rai in February.
Iu Mien Cultural Festival
The “Iu Mien Cultural Festival” was conceived several years ago and finally born in April 2017 at the Mekong Giant Catfish Pier in Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province. The festival was nurtured by its creators, along with family members and neighbors, growing into a beloved event. This joy extended to relatives in other provinces and even spread to those living abroad.
In its early years, up to the age of three, the creators and the community in Chiang Rai made significant efforts, through trial and error, to ensure the festival developed robustly.
Recognising the challenges faced by the Chiang Rai community, relatives in Nan Province took over the festival’s care.
Despite the deep affection from Chiang Rai, they entrusted the festival to their kin in Nan to ensure its continued growth.
During its time in Nan, the festival thrived, receiving warm hospitality and care. It became well-known among the Iu Mien community both in Thailand and abroad. Its unique charm attracted various government agencies, which began to support and promote its further development.
After three years in Nan, the festival’s reputation had grown significantly. The community in Phayao Province expressed a desire to host it. Thus, after its tenure in Nan, the festival moved to Phayao for a year. At eight years old, the festival was vibrant and lively, leading to occasional disagreements among its caretakers, perhaps due to its increasing popularity.
Ultimately, the community in Nan retrieved the festival, acknowledging that it had been away from its birthplace for four years. The creators in Chiang Rai, missing the festival dearly, wished for its return. Despite their deep affection, the Nan community agreed to send the festival back to its origins.
Upon its return to Chiang Rai, a warm welcome was organized, with relatives from various provinces and abroad joining in the celebration. Representatives from Nan attended in large numbers to congratulate the Chiang Rai community.
The recent event was heartwarming, bringing tears to many. We deeply appreciate and commend the Chiang Rai community for their dedication in organizing such a grand and warm reception for the “Iu Mien Cultural Festival.”
The festival’s charm has even attracted Iu Mien relatives from abroad, who wish to host it for a year, with preparations already underway.
As the festival matures, entering a phase requiring more resources, we call upon the Iu Mien community to support its continued development. Let’s ensure it grows with quality and value, reflecting the unique Iu Mien identity, benefiting future generations.
February 10, 2025
Mr. Somchai Rungrachatawanich
Chairman of the Iu Mien Thai Foundation, Second Term
