Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a small tribe. Young girls of that tribe were so beautiful that a king ordered his warriors to capture them. Men of the tribe tried to protect their daughters and loved ones, but they were weak in the face of the powerful enemy.
Then an unusual idea struck them. They decided to make their young beautiful girls look ugly so that the king did not like them anymore and did not take them.
Since that time all young girls of the tribe have been face-tattooed to ensure they would be safe.
No, this is not a fairy-tale. This is an absolute truth. I personally saw these women when I visited Myanmar.
Women with face tattoos live in a remote and mountainous Chin State, one of the states of the Republic of Myanmar.
The tradition was so strong that in early days it was difficult for girls without face tattoos to get married. Ancient tradition of face tattooing was banned by the government in 1960s, so now we can see only elderly ladies who have such an extraordinary features.
Though even nowadays some young girls have face tattoos, as they believe that tattoos can protect them from evil.
Today visitors are welcomed in the villages where women with tattoos live. Local women weave scarves and tourists can buy them, hence supporting village community.
Besides visitors can get acquainted with village daily life: school, livestock, etc.
To get to the village is not an easy task because you have to get to Myanmar first, then to Chin state and then 2-3 hours by boat along a river to the village.
Nevertheless this journey is worth making since it let visitors know something about traditions and history of this picturesque country.
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