Mekong River

In Simaogang, a small fleet of sand dredgers work from sunrise to sunset, shipping river sand to construction sites around Yunnan.

Spread across China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, the Dai are at the crossroads of tradition and the modern world.

In Jinghong, the gateway to southwestern China, the Mekong ends and the Lancang river begins.

In a remote mountain village of northern Laos, a community has developed their own electrical grid, yet faces an uncertain future.

The expansion of civilization is pushing humans and elephants closer and closer together.

The Nam Khan river, a major tributary of the Mekong, is being dammed in at least 3 places, displacing thousands.

The Nam Ngum dam was Laos’ first major hydropower project, and it resulted in the formation of an immense reservoir--the Laos Sea.

The area around Pakse, the largest city in southern Laos, is best known for its coffee production and the ruins of an ancient empire.

Not all living from the waters around the Khone Falls demonstrate concern for the health of the water or its creatures.

Near the Laos-Cambodia border, the falls stretch across the breadth of the Mekong.

For the indigenous Bunong people, a desperate battle against the Sesan II dam will decide if their community has a future.

Thailand and Laos trade barbs.