Face Tattoos - A strange Burmese custom of women of Chin ethnic group
During your trip to Myanmar, you will be amazed not only by the beautiful scenery but also by some interesting Burmese customs. Thus, the practice of tattooing in the face of Chin ethnic minority is a part of the unique cultural beauty in the country of golden temples. This custom may make tourists feel extremely curious in their Burma trip.
The Chin group is one of the ethnic minorities living in the mountainous areas, concentrated mainly in the regions near India and Bangladesh in the west. This ethnic group represents about 2% of the population of Myanmar. Chin people still retain ancient ethnic values in their lifestyle. This ethnic group is well-known for a strange custom - a practice of tattooing on the faces of women.
Myanmar Chin women with their face tattoos
When traveling to this place, you will find that on sunny days, men often wear their traditional outfit - a small piece of cloth covering the lower body. When the weather is colder, they drape a thin blanket around them. Chin women are very beautiful. They often wear a colorful coat made by hand with very pronounced embroidery patterns. A special feature of the people here are the tattoo markings on women's faces. Discovering the unique Burmese custom can make your trip to Myanmar more fascinating than ever.
According to the Chin, the girls are beautiful. They tattoo their faces to avoid bad intentions.
According to ancient stories, it is said that Chin girls are very beautiful. Their beauty was often noticed by kings and rich aristocrats. These women, who did not want to be kidnapped from their families, began to tattoo their faces to get ugly. Over time, this custom has been transmitted from generation to generation and has finally become an integral part of the culture in this nation. For members of the community, if the girl does not have face tattoos, she is considered ugly and it will be hard for her to get married. The marks of the face tattoos become a beauty feature of the Chin community. Thus, the more tattoos a woman has on her face, the more her beauty is appreciated. By the age of 12 or 13, girls start their first face tattoos. How Burmese culture surprises us!
The more marks she has on the face, the more a Chin woman is considered beautiful.
During your Burma tours, you will have an opportunity to admire these particular tattoos. Indeed, tattoos cover their entire face. They begin with the nose and then lay on the face like cobwebs. Even the eyelids are covered with marks. The practice of tattooing on the face is often very painful. Many women have a swollen face and can not get out. It is said that the needles used for tattooing are usually made from pine, and the ink is obtained by a mixture of many special herbs. They mixed inks with certain additives to form a special product that does not discolor and persists over time.
When Myanmar society began to develop, this practice, which is considered one of the many bad customs in Burma, began to disappear. Many Chin people move to other areas to live. Today, fewer and fewer young people are getting tattoos on their faces, while some older people still retain the marks that have been the pride of this ethnic group in the past on their old faces. Do not hesitate to make a Myanmar travel so that you can discover one of the unique cultural beauties in the world.
source: http://ancharm-myanmar.com/travel-guide/cultural-experience/face-tattoos-strange-burmese-custom/