Location
North-eastern Part of Myanmar
Weather
Being the hilly region, the weather is always cool and fresh, and gets heavy
rain as it is very close with bay of Bengal.
Scenery
The state is hilly region, and seldom to see the plain land, Mt Victoria which
is assumes that an old volcano and it is about 10400' in high. In northern,
there is Mt Kennedy, which has 8871 ' high, are very famous.
Traditional Costumes
In the Chin Hills some women still have traditionally tattooed faces, though
it’s a custom that’s fading fast. At higher elevations they wear thick, striped
cotton blankets draped over the body, and copper and bronze ornaments. Among the
Khamui, a sub-tribe that inhabits the lower elevations of southern Chin State,
unmarried women wear short skirts and little else. Chin men tend to wear simple
Western-style dress. Majority of the people are Christians.
Appearance
Black hair, Brown skin, High stout
Literature
Haven’t their own literature but invented from Greece Alphabet
Occupation
Farming, hunting, weaving
Workshipment
Christian and Nat Worship
Art
Drum, horn, gong, flute
Mentality
Hospitality , Bravery , Hard Working and Honest
Outstanding
things that concern to their honorable 'Sprits'
Some Outstanding Things
In livestock breeding, some have to aim for meals and some have to aim for
sacrificing to spirit.
Most people are very
interesting in hunting and most are skilful hunter, in one saying, all adult men
must be perfected in hunting experience. If you visit to Chin house, you will
surely see the bones, shells, and other pieces of wild animals and their
traditional weapons. They indicate the braveness, courage and experiences of
their hunting .Seeking medicinal orchid, plants , honey , and fishing are their
main economy and habit.
Weaving in traditional
method are the proud of ladies, they produce quality products of hand make
blanket, clothes, and other useful things, In Chin state there are no special
market expect in big town of Chin state. If they want to sell their material
they put their things to the big cane basket and going around to all villages
and sell with cash or exchange methods.
In Chin hills some women still have traditionally tattooed faces, though it’s a
custom that’s fading fast. In days of yore, the girls who were above 14-15 ages,
had to be tattooed to their face. They assume that, by tattooing on face, they
can recognize and choose their children, even though their children were lost
the ways in deep forest and separated from them.
But some say that, Chin
ladies are the most beautiful among other nationalities, and the Burmese's King
always chose them as concubine during Burmese Kingdom. They therefore spotted
their beautiful face with ink in order to escape the above affair.
Funny and festival
These people held the New Year in (October), they pay respect to their Nats
(Spirits) by sacrificing Ox, Buffalos and other animals. The other festival are
harvest festivals, Spirits sacrificing festivals concerning with the
agriculture, Victory ceremony, Bull fighting festival, the party for
congratulating to victors and winners, are the congratulate to victors party are
the famous for Chin state. They use to hold their festival with traditional
dance.
Attraction
Mt Victoria is the famous sites for hiker and trekkers. Mt. Victoria (10500
ft) is the southern out post of Himalayas, isolated and possesses many species
birds and plants, offers a great opportunity for bird watching activities. It is
quite attractive sceneries with numerous kinds of native birds. Mt.Victoria is
in Mindat; in Chin State situated at sea level 4860 ft. The temperature is cool
year round and pleasant. Overnight will be in a bungalow with basic but
comfortable accommodations. The surroundings of Mindat has semi-cultivated land
with some areas of pine forest. Weather is cool and pleasant all year round.
Throughout the way in lower elevations we will be walking in secondary
vegetation with patches of semi cultivated areas and pine forest. The forest
above 7000 ft is a pristine broadleaf evergreen forest with patches of small
bamboo. Forest type bove 9000 ft is mostly oaks and rhododendrons and some
grasses lands. At the Chin village, opportunity to observe way of life in Chin
tribe. It is quite attractive sceneries with numerous kinds of native birds.
Naga
The
Naga are mainly settled in between the Indian border and the Chindwin River. On
Myanmar side of the border, much smaller population of some 100,000 Nagas. Naga
burn their field and grow rice and taros. Men’s tattoos indicate his villages
and tribes. Women do not cover their breasts either but wear tattoos since when
they are little girls in villages of animism. At some of Naga villages under
strong influences of Christianity or Burman culture, tattoos are disappearing.
Among tribal peoples of the world, the Naga must sport one of the most exotic
traditional costumes. Black carpet woven with black fur of dogs with red
rectangular-shapes embroideries used to be the typical design. Today Naga people
use wool instead of dog fur. Shells used in the textiles with different pattern
show the person’s social status, experience of head-hunting and wealth.
The “NAGA” people are one
of the most interesting hill tribe people among the 135 different nationalities
of Myanmar, and formally known as head-hunters whose area has been long time
been in-accessible to explore. They are animists and always celebrated the New
Year Festival in January. The hill tribes in the areas now known as Naga-land
had no generic term applicable to the whole race. Nagas are of sub-medium
height, the facial index is very low, the nasal index corresponds to a medium
nose, the hair is generally straight, the skin is brownish yellow. The eyes
significantly do not show Mongolian form. Some Naga generally wear no upper
garment, but the small piece of garments and copper circular gong to cover their
genes. They always revenge their intruders, and never forget their enemies.
It could broadly be said
that they are straight forward people, honest, hardworking, sturdy and with a
high standard of integrity. They are lacking in humility and are inclined to
equate a kind and sympathetic approach with weakness. The Nagas have a very
strong sense of self respect and would not submit to anyone riding roughshod
over their sentiments.
Naga The Nagas are not a composite people. They speak many languages. There are
49 sub-groups differentiated by their spoken language. They differ widely in
dress and other cultural traits, as well as in physical features. They belong to
Tibeto-Burma group but yet there are great differences in the details between
one tribe and other, as well as between different people of the same tribe. Some
are tall, some are short. Some are yellow in complexion and some are even brown.
The Naga can be found on both sides of the India-Myanmar border. They live
mostly around the Patkoi Ranges and on the western hills of the Chindwin River's
sources. The costumes must be among the most colorful in the country. Feathers,
fangs, teeth, brass, beads, intricate weaving; they wear everything in every
color.The females tattoos their foreheads and chins. The southernmost point of
the Naga Hill Tracts is the sources of the Chindwin River and the northernmost
point is India-Myanmar border. Naga's biggest festival is new year festival of
January 15th, called Kaing Bi and organized by Naga festival committee who
choose each year's festival location and details under the control of central
government. All Naga tribes send a few delegations to this occasion, thus it is
the perfect opportunity to see variety of different Naga people at once.
There is no caste system
among the Nagas or anyone of the non-Naga tribes. But each of the Naga tribes is
divided into several or as many as twenty clans. Clans are mainly based on
forefathers or such other things by which one group of people is differentiated
from others. The bigger the tribe, the more is the number of clans. This has
grown out of an important man of that family whose name is used by his progeny
as the surname. This has got nothing to do with clan system, but in course of
time, such family name may become a clan name. Generally, marriage in the same
clan is prohibited but nowadays modern educated young men and women are often
violating it.
We are specially conducting this type of tour not only by means of Flight, but
also in the way of adventure traveling overland from Monywa, Homalin, Khanti
through the deep forest, then proceed to the Naga festival. What is more
interest is to floating down along Chintwin River 4 night 5 days boat-trip after
participating the Naga Festival until Monywa.
It will be your
un-forgettable trip that you have ever been. The people in towns and villages
along the river are very rural, and remote. They have never see the tourists,
and their live is very natural. Sometimes our cruise boat will pass-through the
un-touched or virgin forest where one can explore flora and fauna. Some people
along the river are living out off water by searching the gold. Dive into the
river bottom without any equipment.
