Lua People: Traditions, beliefs and sacred natural sites in Northern Thailand

The Lua people of the Chiang Mai area, also known as Lawwa, have a deep spiritual relationship with the various sacred mountain sites along the Thongchai mountain range. In particular they have a close affinity to Doi Kham and Doi Suthep. They follow ancestral traditions as well as honouring Buddhist values for the mountains. Today they are assimilated into Northern Thai society (Lan Na region) in the villages along the Thongchai Mountain range on the west of Chiang Mai Lamphun basin. The Lua believe in good and bad spirits and profess a belief in Buddhism. Although many have adapted their lifestyles to that of a Buddhist, they are generally animists by tradition,and ancestor worshippers. The chapter focuses on the Lua people, their animist culture and association with their traditional lands and sacred mountains, including some specific references to these mountains. It also reviews the conflict that arose when the Buddhist abbot master and temple committee of Doi Suthep temple proposed a scenic observation tower beside the main stupa of the temple.