A short visit to Ban Longlan on the border of Luang Prabang and Phonxai Districts provides an idyllic picture of village life in the mountains of Northern Laos. High above the valley, amid karst peaks and mature forest, the Hmong inhabitants of Longlan appear to have escaped the poverty that affects so many other upland communities. The Northern Upland of Laos, where Ban Longlan is located, have often been characterised as poor and remote. If may be more useful, however, to describe the region as highly diverse and highly dynamic.Ban Longlan is a success story. This is the kind of success that the Northern Upland Development Programme wants to achieve in many other locations. There are unique circumstances behind every story, but there are also lessons that can be applied elsewhere.
