THE COLORFUL DRESSES OF THE PALAUNG MAIDENS
By: Harry Hpone Thant
There are more than 130 different ethnic groups making Myanmar their home. And each and every group has its distinctive traditional dresses. The dresses also reflect their beliefs in their origin, which they lovingly tell and re-tell at every occasion.
Palaungs are scattered all over the Shan States. Mostly they engage in the planting and curing of tea leaves. According to some accounts they are distinguished into Ngwe (Silver) and Shwe (Gold) Palaungs. Gold Palaungs live around Kyaukme, Namsan in the Northern Shan State and the majority of the Silver Palaungs make their homes in the Southern and Eastern Shan States. No one can say why they are differentiated as such but one story is that a Shansawbwa (hereditary prince) from the Northern Shan State, married a Palaung girl and showered her with so much gold that they became known as Gold Palaungs. Also most of the Silver Palaungs women wear broad silver bands around their waits as ornamental belts.