Get to Know Mon Culture As You Travel Burma

As visitors cannot fail to notice as they travel, Burma is a richly diverse country with 135 official ethnic groups. Even though the Bamar men and women form the majority at this time, handful of other groups share the historical significance of the Mon. For the traveller wishing to appreciate Burma's culture as most beneficial they can, being aware of something of the Mon is critical. Read on for an introduction to their history and culture.

Introducing the Mon

The Mon are a single of the oldest peoples of Southeast Asia and played an instrumental role in the history of the region. It was Mon who had been reached by Theravada Buddhist missionaries from Sri Lanka and subsequently the Mon who were instrumental in helping the religion to travel Burma and Thailand are nonetheless Theravada Buddhist countries nowadays. Considerably of Mon culture has been assimilated into Burmese culture in the intervening centuries, and certain aspects of Burmese tradition right now (such as written language, spirit belief and dances) have identifiable Mon roots.

Dress

Among the folks you meet when you travel, Burma's a number of ethnic minorities will almost certainly be represented to some degree, but subtle differences in their dress often elude the visitor. If you had been to pass by way of Mon State, you could possibly meet villagers in standard garb, although quite a few way more would be wearing modern day clothes. Still, those lucky sufficient to acquire a Mon cultural occasion in 1 of the cities could well be treated to the full outfit. Traditional Mon dress consists of an eingyi or shirt and a wrap-around cylindrical longyi. Worn on the bottom half of the body, this is a shared custom with most other Burmese groups, but the Mon longyi is made distinctive by red chequers and a horizontal stripe across the middle. Males wear a jacket identified as tiek-pon, and girls wear a shawl.

Music and dance

Mon performance arts have enjoyed a lengthy history of social - and much more recently, somewhat political - significance, closely tied to the culture's spirit beliefs. Regular dances involve the religious kalok dance, which is element of an all-day ceremony focusing on an ancestral spirit, and the stylised 'golden bird' dance performed in honour of the mythological Hintha bird, symbol of the Mon people. Musical accompaniment is provided by Mon instruments, such as drum sets, crocodile xylophones, flutes, gongs, and flat guitars. These days, preservation of Mon music and dance is seen by some as a way of preserving identity and cultural autonomy. Any one who gets a likelihood to see an authentic Mon performance as they travel Burma really should not pass up the opportunity!