Wa people

The Wa people (Wa: Vāx; Burmese: ဝလူမျိုး; Chinese: [佤][族]; pinyin: Wǎzú; Thai: ว้า Wáa) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in northern Myanmar, in the northern part of Shan State and the eastern part of Kachin State, near and along Myanmar's border with China, as well as in China's Yunnan Province.

Historically, the Wa have inhabited the Wa States, a rugged, mountainous area between the Mekong and the Salween River. They have lived there since time immemorial, practicing subsistence agriculture by growing rice, peas, beans, poppies, and walnuts. They also bred water buffaloes, mainly for sacrificial purposes.

The Wa people speak the Wa language, which belongs to the Mon-Khmer language family. Many Wa are animists, while some follow versions of Buddhism or Christianity. Their traditions and way of life share similarities with the Naga people who live farther to the northwest.

Cultural history

See also: Wa States

The Wa people have interesting origin myths. According to these stories, the first Wa came from two female ancestors named Ya Htawm and Ya Htai. These ancestors spent their early days as tadpoles in a lake called Nawng Hkaeo, located in the border area between China and Myanmar.

Not much is known about the early history of the Wa. Local legends say that in the past, the Wa controlled large areas including eastern Shan State and parts of present-day China. Over time, they were displaced by other groups. The Wa have had traditional animist beliefs, with rituals involving animal sacrifices to spirits. They also have unique cultural practices like special dances and a strong tradition of drinking alcohol.

The Wa language belongs to the Austroasiatic family. It did not originally have a written form, but in the 20th century, Christian missionaries created a script based on the Latin alphabet to translate the Bible. Today, there are different versions of the Wa script used in China and Myanmar.

Geographic distribution

Further information: Awa mountain

The Wa people live in parts of Burma (Myanmar) and China. In China, they are recognized as one of the 56 ethnic groups and live in several areas of Yunnan Province, including Ximeng Va Autonomous County and Cangyuan Va Autonomous County. About 400,000 Wa people live in China.

In Burma, the Wa are one of the country's 135 officially recognized ethnic groups. They mainly live near Kengtung and close to the border with China. A special area called the Wa Self-Administered Division was set up in 2010. Some Wa people have also moved to Thailand, where they live in places like Mae Sai District in Chiang Rai Province, but they do not have official status there.