Women are never supposed to remove the rings. "If the Kayan leave it would be unfair to all those people who benefit from the camps. But Mamombee said she doesn't like to remove them except once every three years to clean herself. We were ushered into a 50-square-yard collection of shacks where two dozen Padaung women sat and sewed or tried to sell their wares. (LogOut/ The Kayan tribe or popularly called Padaung is inhabiting in the area of Inle Lake. It is hot and uncomfortable," she said. The rings are made from coiled brass wire roughly 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter that has been warmed and bent to follow the shape of the neck. The custom is more than just a A full set of the neck rings can weigh as much as 22 pounds Credit: Barcroft Media Another theory is that the coils help protect the women of the tribe from tiger attacks as the coils covers the neck. After allowing you take some pictures, the women speak up and say the only English words they know, "Five dollars please." One 8-year-old who refused to wear the coils told AP, I prefer to be normal. They also claimed that they are not refugees anymore, but that is not what most foreign pro human rights organizations think. I had never seen a Westerner before. Then she said she got used it. One orphan girl said she was not paid at all. The Padaung, along with other Kayan tribes, are war exiles because of the military regime in Burma. She is Burmese, one of hundreds of thousands of people to have fled the 58-year-long civil war for exile in neighbouring Thailand. I light the candles. Loikow (five hours from Kalaw) is a medium-size town located on a lake in the Kayah State in Myanmar Most visitors come here to see the long-necked women of the Paduang tribe, a branch of the Karen tribe with only 7,000 members, most of whom live in villages within a 100 mile radius of Loikow. It would be awful." Mu Lon is a member of the Kayan ethnic group whose women are known as the "Long Necks" or, more crudely, "Giraffe Women". The belief that only girls born under a full moon on Wednesday can wear them also seems to be a myth. Most agree it is a form of adornment and may have been a way of saving and showing off family wealth. "He is very worried that visitors will stop coming," my guide, who served as my interpreter, told me as we left and headed to our own hut. In the old days it was said the women never took the coils off and that if they did the woman's neck would topple over and she would die from suffocation, a punishment sometimes meted out if the woman committed adultery. Several hundred Padaung live along the Thai-Myanmar border. Wearers say that they are not uncomfortable, although their weight forces the shoulders down, making the neck look longer. These loops force the women to waddle when they walk and sit straight legged. The UNHCR has hinted at a tourist boycott, but all in vain. [Sources: peoplesoftheworld.org; Sydney Morning Herald], No one is really sure how the custom evolved. Back in the early 19th century, a solution was sought to establish a more [], The key concepts The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe or Holocaust Memorial in Berlin was designed by New York architect Peter Eisenmann and was officially opened in 2005. From the age of 5 she had lived as a stateless refugee, without hope or prospects. Kayan women also wear rings on their arms and legs. "Why do we wear the rings?" A symbol of wealth, position and beauty, the coils can stretch their necks over a foot and weigh over 20 pounds According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world record for longest neck---15 inches--- belonged to a Padaung woman. All elements of a festival interact with each other in order to deliver a cultural experience. Is this economic empowerment, then, or exploitation? In the hills of Northern Thailand, right at the border of Myanmar, lives a tribe of Karenni people called Kayan Lahwi. After X-raying several long-necked women in Rangoon he discovered that the neck was not expanding. They also wear coils on their legs. Hall & Company); New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, The Guardian, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Global Viewpoint (Christian Science Monitor), Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, NBC News, Fox News and various books and other publications. +++, "I want to go out and see things, see the market, see the people," said Maya, 11, who escaped from Burma three years ago. A Paduang woman told National Geographic, "Wearing brass ring around your neck makes you beautiful.". National Geographic. They woman come out when visitors call on them. These studies state that these womens muscles are weakened because of the coils and they also harm their clavicles and jaws. When working they wear short- sleeved smocks. Some say the custom have been dreamed up and perpetuated by tour guides. Removal of the rings can be equivalent to the One Padaung woman told AP, It is not comfortable wearing these coils even while sleeping. The Kayan people like beautifying their women in special ways. "This is our culture. For two years Mu Lon and her family, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and foreign governments have put pressure on the Thai authorities to allow 20 Kayan to take up the opportunity of resettlement in New Zealand and Finland. Customs For centuries the Padaung women have been a source of curiosity because of their Their only option is to stay or pay U Dee money to be returned to Burma. [Source: National Geographic, 2008], Amit R. Paley wrote in the Washington Post, Some trekking companies and human rights groups consider the Padaung villages, which stretch across northern Thailand, to be "human zoos" that exploit the women. The Padaungs famous long-necked women wear brass coils---not rings---around their necks. Many foreigners dont like practice and describe the villages as human zoos, but they visit them anyway. It depends whether these women are coerced, says National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis. The chairman of the Mae Hong Son chamber of commerce told the New York Times, Long-necked Paduang are the star attraction to draw tourist to our province. (We quickly returned to explain to the tribal chief that I was asking questions, not complaining, but, unsurprisingly, he did not issue a correction over the village intercom.) There are four main Kayan groups: the Kayan Lahta, the Kayan Ka Ngan, the Kayan Ka Kaung and the Kayan Lahwi. Is Long-Necked Women Tourism Really That Bad? Because really which young Scottish person didnt support Croatia in the world cup semi-final? They are paid $20 to $60 a month from the tour company that brings tourists to see them, plus the money they get from tips and selling T-shirts, postcards and souvenirs. The visit to Sompron is a little strange and awkward. The UNHCR insists that all refugees should be treated equally, but declines to reproach the Government directly. :: Text Sources: Encyclopedia of World Cultures: East and Southeast Asia, edited by Paul Hockings (C.K. 131, Issue 5, pp. According to our tour guide, there are seven Another theory is that the rings represent the look and power of a dragon, fostering the legend that Padaung women are descendants of the mythological Mother Dragon. Festivals are [], The Scottish versus the English, an ongoing war, when will it stop? Normal vs. Padaung women cervical vertebrae . The Padaung tribe is a subgroup of the larger Kayah tribe, which in turn is a subgroup of the Karenni which in turn is a subgroup of the Karen. Apart from the brass neck rings, the Padaung also wear rings on the arms (wrist to elbow) and the legs (ankles to knees), but these are not quite as prominent. Most tourist s see the long-necked women in Sompron village (about three miles south of the center of town), where ten long-necked women and girls live in small huts set up for them by a travel agency. "If the chief orders us, we will do it." It is an small island which is regarded as one of the most famous and typical tourist spots in the Fujian province. This constitutes 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FME1At3vmI, (2013) Why Do These Women Stretch Their Necks? The women said the rings were painful when they were young but don't hurt now at all, and they said there are no health problems associated with wearing them. "We do it to put on a show for the foreigners and tourists!" That night an Australian family was paying $15 to sleep in his hut. Maybe these names do not ring a bell with you, but at some point you might have seen a picture of giraffe women, known for wearing extremely long neck rings Krampus another folk tradition being exploited? The medical certificates were issued, the formal invitation was delivered, and in 2006 Mu Lon and her sister were all ready to travel to their new home. Padaung women wear a short, dark-blue skirt edged with red with a loose white tunic also trimmed with red and a short blue jacket A turban-like headscarf is draped around their head. They are believed to be kept in Thailand in such conditions because they benefit this country tourism economy. They don't speak any English so come prepared with some game or activity to keep them amused. Traditionally, these women are thought to wear these particular neck rings for diverse but certainly unknown reasons. In the late 80s and early 90s, due to political conflicts, they were forced to emigrate and remained trapped between the boarders of Burman and Thailand. Some families said they were paid about $45 a month, while others were given a sack of rice. 213-217. Some anthropologists think that it could be in order to make women less attractive and repeal enemies from raping them. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The Kayan residents in Mae Hong Son Province in Northern Thailand refer to themselves as Kayan and object to being called Padaung. As a Scottish 22-year-old I feel that even though the physical fighting is in the part there is still a constant underlying rivalry. Nevertheless, this situation presents a great conflict. The brass neck rings are worn for life and are only removed if a woman has committed adultery. +++, After a dinner of chicken curry, raw pork and a jungle delicacy identified as minced mole, I asked our hostess if she felt forced to wear the costume because of visiting foreigners. Padaung is one of the oldest hill tribes in Myanmar , and they follow the habit of living in harmony with Nature and wearing the brass collars from the young age (start at 2 or 5 years old). "If I take it off for a long time, it is uncomfortable. Amit R. Paley wrote in the Washington Post, The traditional wardrobe for Padaung women is a red, saronglike dress with a blue or magenta jacket and towellike head covering. It is part of the Karen branch of the Tibeto-Burman family. ==, Zember, whose hand darts constantly to her bare neck, admits that taking off the rings was a difficult decision. Parents of girls are often very happy and men like to marry long-necked women because of the money they will bring in. We are denied education and the authorities will not let us go abroad, although some of us have been invited to leave for Finland and New Zealand. Without work papers or citizenship, the Kayan have little say over what happens to them. Contrary to belief, the women can remove the rings without risking breaking their necks. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7215182.stm [Accessed 28 Oct. 2017]. So is it unethical to visit the long-necked women? Starting at an early age with 5 rings, women gradually stretch their necks up to 15 inches long by adding a ring annually until they reach 25 rings! It connects Canadas capital city Ottawa with Kingston, 202 kilometres (126 miles) further south, through a chain of lakes, rivers and man-made locks and canal-cuts. "If you do not wear the rings, your soul will get ill and you can die." One woman told the New York Times, It can be a bit boring and hot and it hurts when you first put it onWhen you take off the brass youre a little dizzy, and for one or two minutes you shouldnt walk. Scott there voices sound "as if they were speaking from the bottom of a well.. Here, they walk around freely without the ogling eyes of both local and foreign tourists. This is a landscape that has molded the people who inhabit it. It is clearly true that money spent to visit them supports an artificial village from which they essentially cannot leave. This tribe serves as a tourist attraction for visitors around the globe. My head aches, and I feel like my neck can't support my head. This seems to have be a myth. For Thailands Padaung women, the choice is very narrow. Are tourists promoting this situation? [Source: Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, August 23, 2009 +++], Describing a trek that climaxed with a trip to a Padaung village Amit R. Paley wrote in the Washington Post, In the morning I scrambled up on an elephant for an hour-long ride that left me sore all over (pachyderms, in case you were wondering, are not ergonomically designed) and a hour-long trip down the Ping River on a bamboo raft precariously held together by strips of rubber tire (I thought all was lost when the raft guide fell into the water after we bumped over some nasty rapids, but he recovered and got us to shore). None of the Padaung I spoke to knew of any story or reason for wearing the rings. Kulangsu is an exceptional example of the mixing of different cultures. Padaung long neck hill tribe village Highlight of this trip is a visit to the famous long necked hill tribes people, the Padaung. And at Nai Soi the monthly fee has not been paid for five months. One suggests men put the rings on their women to deter slave traders. The practice has become so lucrative that Padaung women can support large families with their earnings. Their homes and villages are found scattered in the area between the Kayah State, east of Taungoo and Southern Shan State. However, sometimes these traditions are more harmful than we can imagine. There are different theories as to how the custom originated. Such material is made available in an effort to advance understanding of country or topic discussed in the article. [Source: Richard Lloyd Parry, The Times, April 8, 2008 ::]. As the girl grows taller, larger sets of coils replace the outgrown ones. A little pillow on top of the loops cushions the chin. "I look and feel ugly." Women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe are well known for wearing neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck, appearing to lengthen it. These long-necked women are from the Padaung tribe in the Kayan State in Myanmar. :: As refugees, the Kayan have no land, no rights to social security and no freedom of movement to find better work or education. Within Africas Ndebele tribe, the women of the tribe wear copper and brass rings not only around their necks, but around their legs and arms, as well. Neck Rings The Karen Padaung believe that a long neck is a sign of beauty, and they use neck rings made of brass to stretch the neck of the women of the tribe. The Kayan group are also referred to colloquially in English as the long-neck people for the trademark brass neck rings traditionally worn by its women, which appear to lengthen the neck. Local businesses profit from the tourist traffic, and some Padaung women welcome the modest income. "The local [Thai] villagers can sell to the [Burmese] refugees, and they can sell to the tourists who come here as well," says Surachai Pidwai, the Thai village head who collects tens of thousands of pounds a year from tourists who visit the Nai Soi tourist "village" where Mu Lon and her fellow Kayan live. National Geographic reported: Some women are rejecting the rings because the tradition has trapped them in what critics call human zoos mock villages where tourists buy tickets for a glimpse of these exotic women. Sometimes the coils are placed on girls as young as two. "[Source: Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, August 23, 2009 +++], Joy Thaijun, 28, was wearing shorts and a T-shirt when I saw her. Ive changed into a [], A century-old tradition Half goat, half demon, devil horns, hairy,cloven hooves,bloodshot eyes, a long red tongue, fangs and rusty chains. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. But after pausing, she added: "I would much rather be here than in Burma." "I feel bad when I take out the rings," she said. Other Kayan tribes display their beauty by wearing carved elephant tusk in their ears. Karen people wear rings on their neck from as young as five. As the coils are added they push the collar bone and ribs down, creating the appearance of a longer neck. "We're not allowed to take it off because of our tradition," said Malao, a 33-year-old who, like most Padaung women, has only one name. They began to live in refugee camps in these borders and found a choice to survive by accepting tips from the tourists, so they developed a new way of life based on attracting tourism. This exotic tradition inspired the creation of tourism villages in 1985. The Padaung are a sub group of the Karen and originate from neighboring Myanmar. They are best known Mae Hong Son, Thailand July 22, 2013: Karen tribe woman from the Padaung tribe in Mae Hong Son on July 22, 2013. Maybe these names do not ring a bell with you, but at some point you might have seen a picture of giraffe women, known for wearing extremely long neck rings formed by brass coils. Galvn, Javier. This is the only way we can earn money., In many cases the women simply go about their daily chores or play volleyball while tourist stare at them and ten ask them for tip or sell souvenirs or other items. Their heads seem to float ethereally over their bodies. [Source: Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, August 23, 2009]. When I asked how they had arrived at this village, they said a man named U Dee, whom they referred to as "the middleman," first began bringing Padaung to the spot about three years ago. Long-necked women are found more attractive for a lot of cultures and there are plenty of myths justifying this complement in order to enhance female beauty. Image viahttps://espaldaycuello.com/cuello-mujer-jirafa-padaung/. Edible Identities: A Heritage Inspired Pot Luck Supper. Even if no tourists came, I would still wear it." :: Vague bureaucratic excuses are given, but the true reason is an open secret. Nick Meo wrote in The Times: It began when Zember, 21, decided to cast off the brass rings. Another says the rings protected children from being killed by tigers, which tend to attack at the neck. Questions or comments, e-mail ajhays98@yahoo.com, Ethnic Minorities - Hill Tribes from the Golden Triangle. Im glad when the tourist come because then we can make money.. "If I leave, he might call immigration." In Huay Puu Kaeng the women are paid by operators ti live in a village on the Pai River that can only be reached by boat. There were no men in sight and only a handful of tourists during my two-hour visit. One 12-year-old girl told the New York Times she started wearing the coils when she was six and had 16 around her neck that cost $160. Padaung means long neck., The coils are made from brass and gold alloy. Starting very young, women of the Padaung tribe of Burma, wear brass rings around their necks. Some Padaung moved to these artificial hill tribe residencies with work permits to Contrary to what guides tell tourists, her head did not collapse on atrophied muscles; but mutiny by the most photographed woman in Nasoi Kayan Tayar village has provoked spectacular results. Billboards showing the womens necks are on roadsides all over the north. If they move to a refugee camp, they get an education, but opportunities to earn money or leave the country are limited. Embarrassed, Thaijun put on her costume and immediately tried to sell me some trinkets and handicrafts. They pay 250 baht (about 4) each; Mr Surachai admits to taking up to 150,000 baht a month (2,400) from the entrance fee. It is an easy trip to 'make' money out of, but this is not our interest!PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS! Then came an undreamt of opportunity a fresh start in New Zealand, with education, housing, full citizenship and, above all, peace. The tradition of wearing bronze rings round the neck is slowly being discarded but there are still a few who continue to follow this age-old custom. Naughty children in Austria and Bavaria have every reason to fear the night before St. Nicholas Day- the Krampus Night. Most have come to Thailand to make money displaying themselves to gawking tourists. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit. Does she want to escape? On the other hand, many of them appeared to prefer living in virtual confinement as long as they are paid and safe. Girls in these places do not attend school. "I have no choice. They also face a plan to move their villages to a remote location on the border with Burma, where they believe they will be at risk from bandits. Besides, both Burman and Thailand Governments should play an active role on this situation and provide an appropriate land and civil state for these people. Another shared theory reports that these neck rings were conceived to avoid tiger bites perhaps literally or more probably just metaphorically because of symbology. For example, there are several kinds of architectures on [], Introduction When a heritage site goes into media, whether movies, documentaries, or TV shows, it often helps the public to gain more knowledge and awareness about this certain heritage. According to the research by [], Cultural landscapes turned into a World Cultural Heritage : The LoireValley, Lascaux cave: a textbook case on the pros and cons of masstourism, https://espaldaycuello.com/cuello-mujer-jirafa-padaung/, http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0889540607000339, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7215182.stm, https://books.google.ca/books?id=e2RyBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=padaung&f=false, http://viajes.elmundo.es/bitacoras/asiaenlamaleta/2012/09/18/si-lo-se-no-vengo-de-las-mujeres-jirafa.html, The Dark Side of Tourism: Dark Tourism at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. The Ndebele in South Africa wear rings around their necks. Some fled to Burma to escape war. Even elders dont know. It is a Memorial in remembrance of [], In 2016, Yoga was listed in the intangible cultural heritage list by UNESCO as part of Indian cultural heritage (ICH, 2018). [Source: Richard Lloyd Parry, The Times, April 8, 2008 >>]. Tulou and Big Fish & Begonia How Cultural Products could impact Heritage Sites, The Dark Side of Tourism: Dark Tourism at the Holocaust Memorial inBerlin, Scottish Network on Digital Cultural Resources Evaluation. We prefer to live here rather than being sent back to MyanmarWe want food, clothes and other necessities. Actually stretching the neck would result in paralysis and death. Alongside the Kayan in northern Thailand are the so-called Kayaw, or long-ear people, also originating from Myanmar . These days you often women not wearing their coils and looks as if their neck is no danger of suddenly collapsing. said Mamombee, 52, whose neck seemed particularly elongated. Traditionally, at the age of five the first coils are placed around a young girl's neck by a medicine man who chose the date for this ritual by examining chicken bones. The tribe is named after the Padaung area, where most of them live. These refugee camps have turn into a human zoo. In person they looked less like giraffes than swans, regal and elegant. +++, Padaung Long Neck Women and Tourism in Myanmar. Some places have become dependent on the women to bring tourist. A Dying Culture Needs Revival? According to the century-old tradition, which is believed to date back to pre-Christian paganism, [], Introduction The Kulangsu is located in the Xiamen city, Fujian province in China. Their daughters, however, have grown up to question the humiliation of their tribe. "If you are Palaung, you have to wear the costume of the Palaung," he said while chopping pork for dinner. Although they are a small minority hill tribe in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, no description of Thai hill tribes would be complete without mentioning the Padaung, better known to the world as the tribe of the long neck Other say the custom began as a tribute to a dragon-mother progenitor.According to some people, Padaung women began wearing the coils to protect their necks against tiger attacks and continued wearing them after tigers were no longer a threat because Padaung men found the coils made the women more sexually desirable.