Using tourism ethics knowledge to analyze the long-neck tribe

The Long Neck Tribe is composed of the Padaung Tribe, a branch of the Karen Tribe, an ethnic minority on the border between northern Thailand and Myanmar. They can only be seen in Mae Hong Son Town. . Long-necked people regard long necks as their beauty. From the age of 5-6, children wear copper rings around their necks, one copper ring a year, to lengthen their necks. The person with the longest neck has a neck of 70 centimeters. When bathing, the long-necked man could only stuff straw into the copper ring and scrub it like a saw. In order to survive, they put on heavy shackles and showed the cruel beauty to the world.

History

The Karen people were originally an ethnic minority in the mountainous areas of Myanmar. They have lived in eastern Myanmar for several centuries. They have always lived in deep mountains and dense forests, relying on farming to be self-sufficient. Women here have always maintained the traditional custom of wearing copper rings around their necks. In 1948, they were invaded and oppressed by the Rakhine people. In order to avoid the civil war and seek a more stable and beautiful land, more than ten years ago, a group of twenty or thirty long-necked people walked over the mountains and ridges for several days. I came to northern Thailand and settled down for a few nights, and regarded the mountain nest in Mae Hong Son as my second home. Although they live in refugee camps in northern Thailand, they still strive to maintain their language and traditions. It is a typical custom of the long-necked people to let women wear copper collars around their necks.

Legend

Some people say that the long-necked women dress like this to make themselves look like a long-necked dragon, which is regarded by the long-necked people as the father of all things in the world. Others say the bizarre costume is meant to scare away hungry tigers wandering around the forest. Others say that Kayan men deliberately lengthen the necks of their wives to prevent them from being kidnapped by rival tribes.

Long-necked tribe

Long-necked tribe

There is also a saying that this kind of costume is a legacy of male chauvinism, because men only need to wear The next copper ring could kill his wife instantly and easily. But most people think this statement is wrong. Nowadays, the long-necked people live in a matriarchal society, and no one is exploring the origin of this custom anymore, because people have mainly regarded it as a symbol of beauty and wealth. It is for this reason that the long-necked people continue to wear copper collars on little girls when they reach the age of 5.

However, there is another theory. According to legend, in the past, residents angered the gods and sent tigers to eat women. So they decided that all girls would wear brass neck rings for self-defense. However, there are also legends that these Karen people originally lived in eastern Myanmar, making a living by farming and living in peace with the world. However, outsiders intentionally annexed the area's natural resources, triggering war. When men went out to fight, women would cast precious metals into gold, silver or copper rings and wear them around their necks or feet. This custom was passed down.

Every long-necked woman knows how to use herbs to clean her neck. They only take off the copper ring around their neck a few times in their life, that is, when they get married, give birth to a child, and die. Usually they don't easily let outsiders see them taking off the copper rings, even if they are as close as their husbands

Long-necked tribe

Long-necked tribe

husbands are no exception. . [1]

Although historians and folklorists have different opinions on the origin of the custom of "long-necked women" wrapped in copper coils. But one thing people have reached a consensus: the reason for the continuation of "long-necked women" is money. Since fleeing their homeland due to war more than 10 years ago, hundreds of Padang tribe members have been living in refugee camps on the border of northern Thailand and Myanmar. Although they are illegal immigrants, they have been able to gain a foothold in Thailand because of its unique tourism value, and their lives are much better than those of refugees from other tribes. The long-necked ladies sell all kinds of souvenirs and they rely entirely on tourism to survive.