Colourful footage shows the hill tribes of northern Thailand performing their traditional dances at a festival. <br /><br />The people from six different tribes descended on the mountainous Chiang Rai province on Sunday (September 8) for the annual Akha Swing Festival.<br /><br />Each year the Akha people, who have been settled for several decades in the mountainous region, celebrate their freedom with a colourful swing festival. <br /><br />The symbolic act celebrates throwing off the bonds of constraint and is also the tribe's new year celebrations, in line with the peak of the rainy season.<br /><br />''When you don’t have your country any more, you still can feel free while swinging in the air,'' plays their Akha New Year song.<br /><br />Hundreds of tourists now visit the remote region, sometimes only accessible by motorcycle to watch the spectacle. <br /><br />The unique festival is one of the most recognizable in Thailand, with five other tribes which wear different costumes joining in with the event.<br /><br />The dance shows are part of the proceedings with local villagers displaying their stunning garments and traditional group performances.
