Lanten have a number of legends about their history and origins, which often differ in respect of various locations. One of which says that originally their ancestors lived in a place called Nam-Sing-Khui Ngan, which was located in the east of Asia, subsisted mainly on shifting cultivation, gardening, hunting and gathering. They had their own headman, honored as Bian Hong or Pang Wang. Like the other ethnic groups, Lanten also have their legend of ethnic origins, “the water flooded the world”. It is said that Lanten and Yao came into being at the same time. This legend is handed down from generation to generation till now. Long, long ago, when Lanten still lived in East Asia, there happened a serious drought, the earth was arid and spilt into large holes, some of them were large enough to hold a buffalo. The whole world was suffering from famine, people became so hungry that they killed each other and ate their peers’ flesh, even the poles of the granaries. Later, it is said that in the west of Japanese See there was much rain, the land there was humid and fertile. They made seven bamboo rafts and sailed towards the west. In the mid of the sea, they heard some strange sound, like waterfall (actually there was a storm to come). Then three of the rafts wrecked and many people fell into the sea. The living blessed the God Pang Wang for help and three days later they finally arrived at a place called Selljiaofu.

On arriving at the land, some built straw hut, some went to the forest for games to prepare a sacrifice for Pan Wang, because they promised in the sea that should they arrived at the land safely they would prepare a sacrifice for him. At that time, the biggest game found were the pigs, so they offered pigs as sacrifices for Pang Wang. From then on, pigs became the biggest sacrifice to offer the God in rituals.

The survivals from the boats were divided into two groups, the first group left for new land, and the second stayed there for rescuing the survivals from the wrecked rafts. In order to be recognized easily, the first group decorated red wool or red silk in the back of blouse as a sign, and the second, red threads in the front of the blouse. The former became the sign of Yao women, and the later, Lanten women.

After Lanten arrived in East Asia, they lived in many places, moving form place to place, from forest to forest, mainly in Guangxi province, south China. They live there for many years. Later, when Guangxi was in chaos caused by wars, they had to move again, some moved to Vietnam, some came to Laos. The Lanten moved to Laos are called Blue Lantian or Lantian Huay. Those who stayed in China are called Black Landian or Alp-Landian. The first group who left earlier is still called Yao, who are regarded as the younger brother of Lanten. Because in Lanten’s legends, Lanten and Yao were from the same father, but Lanten was the son of the first wife, and Yao, the son of the second wife. It is believed that the first group of Lanten in Luang Namtha migrated from China, under the leadership of a headman called Na Khid, there they set up their first village Ban Nam Tong. The second group of Lanten, led by their headman Lisan Lisu, migrated from Vietnam to Na Mo County in Oudomxay and set up their village Ban Nam Tong.(Collected in Luang Nmatha, P.D.R. Laos )  

 (Hope these pictures can tell you something about Lanten people's daily life---their family size, their costume, their food and foodways, their way of making a living, their village and houses, and of course, their ways of living)