THE CHIN


The Chin, or Zomi, are a Tibeto - Burmese people who inhabit the great mountain chain running up western Burma into Mizoram in north-east India. In previous centuries, the difficult terrain meant that there was a little communication between villages.
More than forty sub-groups, many distinguished by their unique facial tattoos and costumes, have been identified among the 1.5 million Chins in Burma. According to folklore, the custom of tattooing originated almost a thousand years ago, after Burmese men found the Chin women so attractive that they would capture them in slave raids. In their fear, the women began to tattoo their faces – both to make themselves look unattractive, and to ensure that Chin men would be able to identify them if they were carried off.

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9 comments:

Elettra said...

Very interesting, I did not know this story

Paula RC said...

What a wonderful and interesting blog you have, Ma Thet Zin. Thank you for sharing it with us. Thak you for joining my blog too. I hope you find something of interest on my blog too.

Isha Shiri said...

Hello!

I'm happy you follow my blog. Thanks.

Thailand looks wonderful and beautiful landscapes and a people with a rich culture. Congratulations.

I wish you peace.

Isha Shiri said...

I'm sorry, Myammar sure, not Thailand.

CailinMarie said...

What an interesting blog this is. I admit I had to google Myanmar. The photos to the right are beautiful. This story about the Chin and the tattoos- they have been tattooing themselves for thousand years at least? to avoid beng made to slaves? and I guess it is working? So intriguing!
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
CailinMarie

Albert Lázaro-Tinaut said...

You have a very very good blog, with nice photos of a country not very known. Congratulations!
Best regards from Barcelona (Spain).

eduiracheta said...

I like so much your blog :)

ruma said...

All is lovely, and heartwarming decoration.
Your work enlightens me very much...

Thank you for visiting my blog.

From the Far East.
Best regards.
ruma

GalleryJuana said...

truly a work of art.

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