Ai Lao Xiang is of the Hani tribe, from the mountain village of Mengsong. Roasted, the tender shoots he gathers will make a tasty dish. The Hani have many uses for the different bamboos they grow and find in the forest around. Though flexible enough to be woven, bamboo has a higher tensile strength than steel. Succulent when young, in maturity it's tough and durable, ideal for making a table and strong enough for a pipe to last a lifetime.