On the Mekong way...

Welcome everyone to K by Kate's journey!
Today we will travel in South of China, Yunnan where I discovered the beautiful Akha minority with their amazing fabrics!
This is region of Mekong, Puer tea, rice, banana trees, pomegranate, lemongrass, rubber tree, bamboo, tropical Chinese tales with elephants, tigers
​and thousand of flavors...

Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

The Akha minority is one of the 56 minorities who lives in China.
Those minorities are principally located  in South-Ouest, North-Ouest and North-Est of China.
Yunnan gather the majority of the minorities with 25 different ethnies.

Beautiful temple from the Mekong way... - Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

Myself in a local market meeting the Akha and Bai women showing me their treasures...
Akha women grow and spin cotton or hemp to make cloth. They then use natural indigo dye, before weaving the thread into cloth and decorating it with colourful embroidery. Their very decorative textiles combine weaving techniques, embroidery, sewing, plaiting and the application of beads,
​feathers etc. and silver coins.

Photo credit: Renaud Gay

Beautiful Akha woman - Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

Akha woman - Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

Amazing Akha hat! - Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

All the treasures I brought back from a memorable journey that makes you dream for ever...

Photo credit: Cathleen Gay

Look at our Akha bags and how we preserved those amazing piece of fabrics.

Photo credit: Cathleen Gay