#chintribe

[sillyjellieart]

MerMay day 22| By the Nose of my Chimney Chin Chin

(Myanmar)

The women of the Chin tribe of Myanmar used to practice facial tattooing as a gateway token to heaven when they reach the afterlife. Legend also suggests that this practice came from disguising a girl’s beauty from potential kidnappers, but years later it became a symbol of beauty, and the more tattoos you have the more beautiful you are. Unfortunately, it’s a fading culture as the government has banned it.

The nose flute is also a fading culture, but for reasons of the younger generation having no interest in picking it up, rather than government intervention.

[konstantinohatzisarros]

Woman of the Chin Tribe in Western Myanmar (Burma). Many Chin women still have facial tattoos. Photo © Konstantino Hatzisarros

[konstantinohatzisarros]

A woman of the Chin Tribe in Burma (Myanmar). Many Chin women still have facial tattoos, although the custom is fading among the younger ones. Photo ©  Konstantino Hatzisarros 2019

[higpix]

Beauty redefined. So fortunate to be able to photograph what is surely to be the last generation of these strong and beautiful women. This trip last December to Myanmar again and first time to Laos was challenging with a lot of 4 wheeling in a 2 wheel drive. On one leg, it took us 4 hours to go 17 miles from Mindat to Kanpetlet!!! But the people we met along the way...priceless. My interpreter couldn’t understand the mountain dialect of the local Chin tribe so I hired a local who trailblazed through the jungle hacking his machete though the prickly weed to these hidden villages. We went to 5 different villages all in one day this way. Unique and unforgettable. These women were just a few that welcomed me and my guys with open arms, tea and lahpet thoke (fermented tea leaf salad). The beauty expressed in a gaze and a smile crossed any barriers of language we had. kyaayyjuutainpartaal, Myanmar. #tattoowomen #chintribe #documentaryphotography #burma #myanmar #mindat #traveldeeper #natgeotravel #villager (at Mindat, Chin State) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwA9RZhHkT7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16g95vyxhe92

[higpix]

Beauty redefined. So fortunate to be able to photograph what is surely to be the last generation of these strong and beautiful women. This trip last December to Laos was challenging with hours spent in a little motor powered dugout canoe going down the Mekong searching for the villages my guide/boatman Pitt only knew. We would be going along for an hour or so and he would abruptly steer us over to some tree or rock he must’ve recognized. We would hack our way though for a short while and voila, a trail! Walking right into a village with no introduction needed. Friendliness extends to strangers and brings good fortune to the tribe. Win, win!!! #hmongwomen #chintribe #documentaryphotography #burma #myanmar #mindat #traveldeeper #natgeo #villager (at Luang Prabang) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwA8ygWHda5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wfb924ksx252

[sikoraphoto-blog1]

Another delightful lady from Chin village in Rakhine state of Myanmar. I was not allowed to go to any farther villages up river due to the continuous fighting between the minority rebels and the government military. #chintribe #tattoedwomen #facetattoo #rakhinestate #burma #travelportrait #getlost #explorer #optoutside #worldshotz #theworldshotz #createexplore #exploretocreate #discoverearth #travelphoto #travelworld #keepexploring #globe_travel #theglobewanderer #roamtheplanet #exploretheglobe #nakedplanet #places_wow #instatraveling #igtravel #travelblog #instago #mytravelgram #travelingram #sharetravelpics #worldtravelpics #rei1440project #earthfocus #ourplanetdaily #earthofficial #natgeo #nationalgeographic #natgeotraveller #awesome_earthpix #travelstoke (at Rakhine State, Myanmar) https://www.instagram.com/p/Btd_MAJhqOg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1qymn17a0d70i

[sikoraphoto-blog1]

One of the last remaining tattooed Chin women in remote Myanmar. The legend has it, Chin women were known for their beauty and often kidnapped by the Burmese king centuries ago, so hey began the practice to make themselves ‘ugly’ and avoid being taken away from their tribe. It takes on average 2 days to tattoo the entire face, a young girl would be held down enduring severe pain. Once finished it would take about a week for the swelling to go down. Only after the tattoo was completed the girl would be ready for marriage. It was a pleasure to meet the Chin women and I can tell they are very proud of their facial art. Practice was banned by the government in the 70’s so there aren’t very many tattooed women left. #chintribe #tattoedwomen #facetattoo #getlost #explorer #worldshotz #theworldshotz #createexplore #exploretocreate #discoverearth #travelphoto #travelworld #keepexploring #globe_travel #theglobewanderer #roamtheplanet #letsgosomewhere #exploretheglobe #nakedplanet #places_wow #instatraveling #igtravel #instago #travelingram #sharetravelpics #keepitwild #earthfocus #ourplanetdaily #earthofficial #natgeo #nationalgeographic #awesome_earthpix #natgeotravel #natgeomyanmar #tribe #portrait #portraittattoo #portrait_ig #remoteplaces #tomsikoraphotographer (at Chin State, Myanmar) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtP44fPhBuV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1mmude290ppiq

[vibranze]

Burma's Chin Tribe Lady. The last of the remaining tribeswomen with these magnificent tattoos drawn on their face. There are many stories about the origin of Chin tattoos, one of that is these tribes first began to ink their faces as a way of disfiguring their beauty, they had no way but to destroy their beauty make themselves unattractive and, in doing so, avoid being kidnapped or chosen as concubines by the Burmese kings. A second legend states that they were tattooed distinctively to allow for identification with their tribe of origin in the event that they were kidnapped by another tribe. Another reason is they believed a facial tattoo makes them beautiful, more attractive and would receive attention from most of the young men. The process of the facial tattooing is extremely painful especially on the tender eyelid areas and dangerous as some even died of infection. it has been outlawed since 1960s. Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/vibranze/ . . . . . #tribe #bagan #myanmar #captureDedication #travel #bcctravel#asia #yangon #portrait #natgeoyourshot #sony #a7rii #a7 #tripadvisor #natgeotravel #chintribe #chinlady #chinwomen #mindat #tattoo #beautifuldestinations #culture #cnntravel #silkair #sonyimages#culture #WPOfavs #places #travel #sonyalpha (at Mindat, Chin State)