Laothan
Laothan is the northern jungle area of Malatra, sweeping in a curve from the T'u Lung border to the Dwai River near Jivatsa, The region is covered with a vast rainforest, fed by periodical monsoons, numerous streams and rivers, and the constant hot and humid climate. The rainforest is light jungle in the north and east, turning to medium jungle in the Phu River basin west and south of Cheinang. The ground underlying this vegetation is hilly; ridges are steep sided, and most farming takes place in the valley bottoms or on hillside terraces.
The people of this region, called the Seng, are racially similar to the folk of neighboring T'u Lung, with epicanthic folds, brown eyes, and fine, straight black hair. Men wear simple loincloths when doing heavy manual labor or loose trousers and shirts. Women wear high-necked, form-fitting dresses with long slits up the side; village women and others who must labor combine a looser form of this dress with trousers beneath. Bright colors and hand-painted and dyed silks are favored by these people. Their food is hot and spicy, and their joyful approach to life is evident in the many festivals and celebrations they hold each year.
