Magical Myanmar

Blower
Mar 27, 2017
5 min read

Tribal lifestyle in rural Myanmar

It's the dawn of a more democratic era in this extraordinary land, where the landscape is scattered with gilded pagodas and the traditional ways of Asia endure.

In 2015, Myanmar (Burma) voted in its first democratically elected government in more than half a century. Sanctions have been dropped and the world is rushing to do business here. Relaxing censorship has led to an explosion of new media and an astonishing openness with public discussions of once-taboo topics. Swathes of the county, off-limits for years, can now be freely visited. Modern travel conveniences, such as mobile phone coverage and internet access, are now common, but largely confined to the big cities and towns, where the recent economic and social improvements are most obvious.

Visit Myanmar and you won't fail to notice the energy, hope and possibilities for the future that hang in the air. Exiles are returning, joining others in rising to the challenge of bringing their country into the 21st century, at the same time as preserving the best of the past. Myanmar has many problems to fix but its people remain as stoic and charming as ever. Slow down, sit, listen and connect with them – it's the best way to appreciate what's truly golden about this land.

Child with her friendly dog, in one of the rural villages of Shan Province

Trekking in the hills

We spent a couple of days trekking to hike uphill to the Hokyin villages, passing tea plantations and bamboo groves on our way.

The four Hokyin villages are a village tract of Akha minority peoples. Numbering several thousands, the Akha, or Kaw, are the second largest tribe in Shan State. They live in the mountainous areas east of the Thanlwin (Salween) River.

Akha villages are easily identified by elaborate wooden gateposts carved with small figures of people and animals. These gatepost - a pair at either end of the village - separate and protect the village

from the surrounding forest, where the Akha believe nature spirits roam. Like the dwellings of most other hill groups, Akha houses are made of wood and bamboo, with heavy, thatched roofs and wooden floors raised above the ground on posts. Each village is looked after by its own council of elders, usually the heads of households or their sons.

The Akha are friendly and often welcome visitors to their homes for a cup of tea or a glass of local ‘fire water’ - a treat not to be missed, as often large hornets are floating in the spirit bottle!!

Bring on the Music

With elaborate head dresses and beautifully ornate costumes the

Akha are a wonderful sight. Seems even us visitors can get carried away with becoming local!!

Tribal songs and music are an essential part of tradition: passing on stories from one generation to another. Coldplay it is not! But a great sight to behold!

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Hard Work if you can get it

Life here is tough. No water, no power, no sanitation. A truly agrarian subsistence lifestyle. People work hard to scratch out a living, the toll being a shortened life.

In addition to their agricultural work, the Akha raise livestock including pigs, chickens, ducks, goats, cattle, and water buffalo to supplement their diets and to use for their secondary products. Children usually herd the animals.

Akha women gather plants from the surrounding forests as well as eggs and insects, which the Akha will occasionally eat or use for medicinal purposes. The women and the men will often fish in the local lakes and streams.

The Wa Tribe

A further trek up hill brought us to The Wa Tribe. There are about one million ethnic Wa in the world; about half of them live in Burma (Myanmar), the other half live in China. In Burma they are concentrated in the southeastern parts of Shan State, but mainly, and more recently, in the northeastern. Much of that area is off-limits to foreigners. While most Wa can still speak their original language, many learn languages other than their own — especially Burmese and Mandarin.

The Summer Institute of Linguistics reports that only 1% can read or write in their own language! This statistic places their language high on the list of the world's endangered languages.

There is a tradition of chewing on Bettel amongst the Wa. A flavouring is wrapped with a round of tobacco leaf and chewed in the side of the mouth, stimulating the senses.

It might be good for the senses, but it has a disastrous effect on the teeth as you can see!!

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The Padaung People

Give me a ring when you are ready.......

Most people know of the Karen people from television documentaries, magazines and encyclopedias as the "long-neck" or "giraffe" tribe. But the women who wear these brass

rings on their neck belong to a sub-group of the Karen known as the Padaung. There are other sub-groups who do not and never have practiced this custom.

A further myth is that these rings act to elongate the wearer's neck. Any chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon will tell you that this would lead to paralysis or death. In fact the appearance of a longer neck is a visual illusion.

The weight of the rings pushes down the collar bone, as well as the upper ribs, to such an angle that the collar bone actually appears to be a part of the neck!

There are many different accounts of why the Padaung practice this bizzare custom.

Their own mythology explains that it was done to prevent tigers from biting them! Others have reported that it was done to make the women unattractive so they are less likely to be captured by slave traders.

The most common explanation, though, is the opposite of this — that an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth and that it will attract a better husband.

Adultery, though, is said to be punished by removal of the rings. In this case, since the neck muscles will have been severely weakened by years of not supporting the neck, a woman must

spend the rest of her life lying down. Strangely adultery and divorce among all Karen groups is extremely low!!

Kayan women are usually now given a choice as to whether or not they want to wear the neck rings. Most of those who still do, do so because they see them as beautiful or because they want to preserve the tradition. It is also likely that some wear them because they attract tourists who bring vital revenue to the community.

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