 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LONG NECK HILL TRIBES CHIANG RAI |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Visiting the Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand was like something out of National Geographic. The Hill Tribe people are often referred to as "chao khao" or mountain people, and each has its own language, customs, and style of dress. Most are immigrants from Tibet, China, Laos, and Myanmar, but thousands more are recent refugees from Myanmar. The tribal villages here are considered by many as "forth world" as they are only marginally connected to the outside world, including their own nations. The Karen Longneck tribe are the certainly the most interesting. Family relationships are matrilineal, though basically adhere to traditional roles of cooking, cleaning, raising children. Girls as young as six years begin wearing rings, one per year till age 22 or so. A full load of neck rings can weigh up to 22 kg (48 lbs.) What actually happens is that the neck rings slowly depress the collar bone and rib cage making it look like they have looooooong necks! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Neck Woman...it is said they earn about $100 a month from the sale of hand crafts. Sad, but true! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Akha, are refugees from Tibet and are among the poorest in Thailand. Though pretty pushy when it comes to selling their trade, they are quite friendly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Here an old man smoking an opium pipe (quite common even among women) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What is unique about the Akha Tribe is that women wear these huge ear rings (about an inch in circumference) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return to Home Page |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||