Visit the village of long-neck women in an adventure to Myanmar

Located on the top of Karen Hills, the tribe of long-neck women attracts tourists by the special custom of carrying many metal necklaces on their necks. The weight of their necklaces can be up to 16 kilograms. The tribe is called Kayan, and they live in the remoted Karen Hills in the Eastern of Myanmar. Women in this Myanmar tourist site have a custom to wear metal rings and necklaces on their wrists, ankles and necks with the perspective that the more they wear, the more they show their family richness and high status. Nowadays, women in this area are no longer interested in wearing such rings and necklaces for beauty. However, some of them still keep the custom for the purpose of service trading.

Traditionally, necklace is a valuable and fashionable stuff which is often an indispensable accessories of girls in many families. There are ways of explanation for this custom if you want to know more about the adventure Myanmar. The local citizens believe that wearing necklaces can help them to prevent animal attack on their necks and make women look more beautiful. They also believe that the more rings they wear, the more men will chase them. Therefore, there are even some women who can wear up to 16 kilograms of metal rings on their necks. Because of wearing too many metal rings, the local women’s neck can be up to 40 centimeters long.

This custom now gradually disappears as this community opens to outer tourists, which leads to the suffering from Western culture. Girls and women, in general, in this village feel that their necks are no longer beautiful to them, so they give up this tradition although it is one of Myanmar top attractions. The modern culture has shown its strong influence in the traditional habit and custom of the local inhabitants.

Nowadays, girls and women in general living in the village feel free when they can give up wearing such rings on their neck. They realize that they look more attractive and natural without these rings and necklaces. On the other hand, some even say that they think the long neck is odd and ugly. Some young girls still stick to this custom, not for keeping the tradition but for tourism purpose, so this travel highlight is still remained in Myanmar.

Visiting this village, you can see goods stalls along the road which sell tremendous products, mostly silver and copper rings, necklaces and other jewelries on general. Besides, there are also brocade and colorful scarves or handkerchiefs which are made by hand, or postcards with the picture of the tribal girls with their bright smile. The long-neck girls are weaving behind their looms. They are all most beautiful girls who are chosen from hundreds girls in the village. In such adventure Myanmar, tourists will look at the pictures and wonder how the girls can look down on such weird long necks and do other work because the action is very difficult.

Thanks to tourism development, the economic situation of the long-neck tribe is getting better. Every day, there are many curious tourists coming to visit and learn about the daily life of one of the most eccentric tribes in the world. One rough guide to travel in Myanmar for tourists who like strange experience is fake metal necklaces sold in whatever stall here. They can help tourists become a long-neck person in some minutes, of course in case they raise their necks up.

Although no longer being passed on as a perception for the traditional beauty, the uniqueness about the custom of wearing metal rings on neck in Myanmar always attracts tourists from all over the world to come and explore. This is also a very interesting experience for visitors in an adventure Myanmar and hope to learn more about this wonderland of golden pagodas.