Who are the Kayan?
According to oral accounts the Kayan people migrated from Mongolia and wandered through Turkistan and Yunnan until they finally migrated to the Salween area and settled around Demawso in Kayah (Karenni) State (in present day Burma).
They are related to the Karen people, but in Thailand they are often mistakenly referred to as Karen.The Kayan themselves are divided into sub-groups:
· Kayan Lahwi
· Kayan Kakhaung
· Kayan Lahta
· Kayan Ka Ngan
The brass wound Kayan women are Kayan Lahwis. The Shans called the Kayan Lahwis, Yan Pa Doung, or Pa Doung, which means brass wound people. In Thailand the terms Padaung, Padong and long necks stem from these Shan and Pa-o words, but the people refer to themselves as Kayan.
They are related to the Karen people, but in Thailand they are often mistakenly referred to as Karen.The Kayan themselves are divided into sub-groups:
· Kayan Lahwi
· Kayan Kakhaung
· Kayan Lahta
· Kayan Ka Ngan
The brass wound Kayan women are Kayan Lahwis. The Shans called the Kayan Lahwis, Yan Pa Doung, or Pa Doung, which means brass wound people. In Thailand the terms Padaung, Padong and long necks stem from these Shan and Pa-o words, but the people refer to themselves as Kayan.
I am a Kayan who live in Demawso, Kayah state in Burma and Thailand. I have seen that our culture is in danger. In Burma many people do follow the old ways and in Thailand our culture has not been explained properly or understood. In Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand some people have tried to keep the culture and traditions alive, but now they are also moving to new countries. I hope that on this site we can share information about our culture and preserve it for the next generation wherever in the world they are. Please help me by writing about things you remember and sending photos and links to other good sites.