Shan Culture

Shan

 

Welcome to Shan Culture We are willing to know some of our Shan Culture to everyone around the world who are interesting our culture. Culture is the most important for every ethnicity because Culture remind our own people where we are coming from and everyone should maintain and promote our own Culture not mix with other culture and remain as history just at past.

We make proud of our own Culture as music, dancing, clothes, livestyles etc... to high standard to show who we are to the world.

SHAN ( The Golden People)

Shan is one of ethinicity in Burma (Myanmar). Shan they call themself Tai ethnic group that the brand of Siamese Indochinese people to which Thais and the Laotians also belong to. The term Shan may come from Siam, the root of Syam and Assam. Referring to their skin colour , neighbours called Tai people as Siam derived from Sanskrist (pali) word Syama which mean (gorld) or (dark) colour. It was written as Syam or Rham and pronounced as Shan in Burmese. When British came to rule Burma in 19th century, they call Tai people as Shan base on Burmese pronunciation and Tai people in Burma.


Origin of Shan

It was sguuested that Tai were the first of migrate from their original seat in Central Asia towards the south and to settle along rivers Mekong (Myanmar/Thai) Menam, Irrawaddy( Myanmar ) and Brahmaputra (Assam). By A.D.18 (early Christian era), Tai already had their first seat in on the Shwele river (at China_Myanmar border) and then the Tai (Shan) dominion gradually extended in the country of Irradwaddy (now know as Union of Myanmar). Today most of the Shan inhabit the Shan State in North-East of Myanmar. The current Shan State is the biggest of the 14 states and divisions of the Union of Myanmar covering 60,000 square miles, 23% of the entire country ( The size of England and Wales combined). The State has 9millions Shan inhabitants 16% of the entire population of the country) along with other migrants from other parts of Myanmar and neighbouring countries like India and mainly China. There are also some groups of Shan inhabitants scattered throughout other parts of Myanmar and neighbouring counties, such as Tai Khamti (Khamti Shan) in the Sagaing division and Kachin State of Myanmar, Tai Ahom, Dai and Thai Yai in Northeast of India, Yunnan provice of Southern China and in Northern Thailand.

 

Different Shan in different geographical regions

Although Shan refers to themselves as Tai, they were known by a few different names, such as, "Thai Yai" in Thailand, "Dai" in China, Tai Ahom in the Northeast of India and “Shan” in the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and to the western world.

In addition, Tai-Shan live in Shan state of Myanmar or in Yunnan province of Southern China are classified into a few different type of Tai-Shan, such as, Tai Lai, Tai Nüa, Tai Long, Tai Sã, Tai Leng, Tai Sipsongpanna, Tai Kham Ti, Tai Lü, Tai Mao, Tai Khün, Tai Loi, Tai Long, etc. Although they share the common language with slightly different accent, their traditional costumes could be very different (especially for women) in different type of Tai-Shan.

Shan Culture and identity

Shand maintain their distinct identity from other fellow ethnic groups of the Union of Myanmar in terms of language, culture and tradition. Like Thai food being famous in worldwide, Shan food is the most popular flavour in Burma. Typical Tai Temples are mainly found in Yunnan provence of Southern China and its architecture is very much similar to those of temples in Thailand. Shan traditional long drum, sheep dance, sward dance, maertial arts dance and Kinnara and Kinnari (female and male mythical birds whose face look like human or said to be half human-half bird creature) dances are very unique cultural materials of every Shan celebration events. Shan have its own flag which was one of the outcomes of Panglong Agreement in February 1947, which served as the most important stepping stones to independent Union of Myanmar today. On Shan flag, Yellow represents the religion of the people of shan states (Buddhism), Green refresent the good agriculture the people of Shan land dwell on, Red represents Bravery of Shan State people and White represent peace and stability for the furture Shan State.


Nationality of Shan States

Apart from the Shan, there are also some other sister ethnic(nationalities) live in the Shan State of Myanmar, other nationalities of the country like Paloung, Pa-O, Wah, DaNu or Innthar etc... They speak different languages from Shan people and dress differently.