Romvong (, also romanized as Rom Vong or Roam Vong), Lamvong (Lao: ລຳວົງ - lám wóŋ) or Ramwong (; ; Tai Lue: ᩃ᪁ ᩴᩅ ᩫ ᩬ; Tai Khun: ᨽ᩠ᨿᨦᨴᩱ᩠ᨿᩃᩨᩢ; ), Rambung (, ) is a type of Southeast Asian dance where both females and males dance in a circle. It is a popular folk-dance in Xishuangbanna (China), Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand. It is a slow round dance continuously moving in a circular manner, and incorporates graceful hand movements and simple footwork. Both men and women participate in the same circle. The circular dance style is claimed as a traditional dance in the four countries of the region where it is often part of traditional festivities, popular celebrations and modern parties. In addition to the dominate Khmer, Lao, Malay and Thai cultures, romvong is also common among many other groups indigenous to Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, for example, Ramvong dance is also found among ethnic groups including the Phnong, Krung, Tampuan and Brao people. Etymology Romvong, sometimes transliterated as ramvong, is from the Khmer word (). In Khmer, the word consists of two separate native Khmer morphemes (rom: "dance") and (vong: "circle"). The words were borrowed into both Thai (, ram; , wong) and Lao (, lam; , wong) with the same meanings and pronounced according to phonology of the respective languages. History It is suggested that romvong is derived from Tai Lue people from Xishuangbanna, China. Romvong is very popular among other Mon-Khmer indigenous people known as Khmer Ler, which has nothing to do with those tribes mentioned after, such as Kroeng, Phnong, Tampuan, etc. All ethnic Khmers including Northern Khmer (Thailand), Khmer Kandal (Cambodia), and Khmer Krom (Southern Vietnam) as well as other Mon-Khmer tribes used the same word "roamvong" for this type of dance as a unified Khmer identity. The indigenous Mon-Khmer minority known as Khmer Ler, who are called those khmer living in higher latitude land only, inhabited Northeastern Cambodia and other mountainous region in mainland Southeast Asia popularly dance circling the campfire at night. This dancing (romvong) dates for millenniums. In the Leang Arak rituals or Lerng Nak Ta which was the original Khmer tradition before Hinduism and Buddhism introduced to ancient Cambodia, small shrine was built surrounded with religious fence, where the spiritual women dance around the shrine. Then romvong become more popular for the locals dancing for entertainment and celebrations. Romvong was probably