NAM HA NATIONAL PROTECTED AREA

If you make a stopover in Luang Namtha for several days, it is probably to make a trek in the Nam Ha National Park, declared a national protected area in 1993 by the government, covering an area of 2,210 km2. It is one of the largest reserves in the country. Mainly covered by the jungle, three rivers cross it: Nam Tha, Nam Fa and Nam Long. There are more than 288 species of birds and 33 species of mammals. However, it has been many years since tigers and elephants have been seen here, as these species are primarily a threat to crops and the safety of local people. The Nam Ha protected area is home to many villages of more than 40 different ethnicities. Numerous ecotourism projects involving local people are set up to preserve this exceptional fauna and flora, allowing them to earn an income while becoming aware of the need to protect the environment.

Chang, a wildlife drama, a silent black and white documentary film made in 1927 by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack (directors who collaborated on King Kong's film). It follows the life of Kru, a peasant farmer living in the middle of the jungle of Nam Ha and having to fight every day, between tigers and elephants, for the survival of his family. The film was made without faking, in a natural environment, and the close-ups of the animals are exceptional. To be seen.