A few hours from Houei Say (Thai Border), we will stop and visit the ethnic village, Ban Gon Dturn. At this point in the Mekong there are a number of shallow rapids, the Lao words for which (Gon Dturn) give their meaning to the villages name. The inhabitants are Tai Lue tribes people, who originally came from the Yunnan area of China around 300 years ago, fleeing persecution. They can now be found in the northern Lao provinces of Bokeo, Luang Nam Tha, Phongsaly, Luang Prabang and Sayabouly. The Tai Lue traditionally live in the valleys and low, flat lands. There are 180 households in this village, encompassing 850 people.

Houses in a Tai Lue village are traditionally on stilts, and the ground under the houses is used to store tools, firewood and weaving. Upstairs consists of a large balcony which is used as a living room and guest bedroom. The inside of the house is not divided into smaller rooms, but remains as one large dormitory style sleeping quarters, with an area for cooking in one corner. The houses have small windows and a twin-peaked roof. They face the river as this is considered to be good luck.

Agriculture forms the main occupation of the men in the village, whether tending rice fields or planting other crops. Produce not required for village consumption is sold to merchants who pass by on the river. Tai Lue women specialise in weaving, much of the cotton and indigo dyes they use being cultivated in the village itself. Silk is imported from other provinces. They too sell their cloth to the passing boat traders. It is also the womans responsibility to look after the family. Nearby villages in the region trade products with each other and communicate news, through regular visits.