Long Neck Hill Tribe

We were driven deep into the hills above Chiangrai right by the Burmese border (now Myanmar) where the Long Neck Karens live. They are a small group of only about 35, and the women wear golden rings around their necks which are applied at the age of 5 with an additional ring added each year until they marry. This gives them the appearance of having very long necks but in truth, it lowers their shoulders and compresses their ribcages. This would be because the rings an adult woman wears weighs a stunning 5 kilos, or 11 pounds.

We weer invited to hold one set and they are shockingly heavy. But the young girls and women look stunning with their neck ornaments.

Traditionally, only girls born on Wednesday under the full moon were given the neck rings. Originally they were made of gold but as it became costly, that was changed to brass. Don't know if that added to or took away from the weight they carry. Once the rings are applied, they have to wear them for life.

One of the reasons the rings were originally used is that several women were attacked by tigers and bitten on the neck. This became a form of protection.

They were also the only hill tribe that didn't accost us to buy their products. Instead, the woman remained very quiet and dignified by their booths. They support their families back in Burma with what they earn, so we were happy to buy from them instead of in other markets.