Wa people

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

Historically, the Wa have lived in the Wa States. This is a rugged, mountainous area between the Mekong and the Salween River. They have lived there for a very long time. The Wa grow rice, peas, beans, poppies, and walnuts to eat. They also breed water buffaloes.

The Wa people speak the Wa language. This language is part of the Mon-Khmer language family. Many Wa people are animists. Some follow Buddhism or Christianity. Their traditions are similar to the Naga people who live farther to the northwest.

Cultural history

See also: Wa States

The Wa people have interesting origin stories. These stories say the first Wa came from two female ancestors named Ya Htawm and Ya Htai. These ancestors started as tadpoles in a lake called Nawng Hkaeo, located where China and Myanmar meet.

Not much is known about the early Wa history. Stories say that long ago, the Wa lived in large areas including parts of eastern Shan State and China. Over time, other groups moved in and changed their area.

The Wa have traditional beliefs that include special rituals. They also have unique cultural practices like special dances and enjoying alcohol together.

The Wa language is part of the Austroasiatic language family. It did not originally have a written form. In the 20th century, Christian missionaries made a new way to write it using the Latin alphabet. 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 one of the 56 ethnic groups. They live in several areas of Yunnan Province, including Ximeng Va Autonomous County and Cangyuan Va Autonomous County.

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.