TODAY

All hill village, Kyaungton Valley, eastern of Shan State minority called Eng resided there. It was believed that their speaking style, attire and traditions and customs were related to ”Wa” tribes. They were among Mon-Khmer Sub-Khmer Sub-Family and Wa Sub-group from one of the Palaung-Wa-Riangs. Plaung (Ta Ann), Palay, Wa, Lawa, Eng, Taingloi, Yin nack and Yin Khyar included in Wa Sub-Group, it was known.

Kyaungton town was established by Wa tribe. But historian believed that. Because of the attack made by Gon and Yun Shan to Wa who had settled at Kyaungton, they had to run and hide themselves in caves in the forest and after new village were spreading and established Eng minority came into being.

Transportation of region where Eng living was difficult and so they had to travel as transportation mode, rely only upon horse, donkey, water buffalo and ox and negotiated with them. Even in some places, it was burdensome to use the ox and donkey but help themselves, traveled on foot. Eng minority is friendly, honest, simple and frank. They helped themselves and have unity. But being they are minority and each of everyone should take part in conserving their traditions and customs and its generation not to be extinct hand in hand.

Eng miniority’s main careers were hillside cultivation and for that almost both men and women worked that hillside farms. As their concepts that the women who didn’t work at hillside farm was the lazy women and apart maiden, and adolescence, even women, son of a mother take a rest at home only a month after born a baby and again went to the hillside farm. And mother taught their daughters closely since their salad dats that career. Daughters were trained to be able to pound the rice from first light come, the home was acknowledged as industrious one when the sound of pounding the rice was heard early time. Mothers taught their daughters all arts which women must know how to keep the household works well beginning their ages reached over 10 years old: hill side farm works, sewing, cooking.

Major profession of Eng was agriculture. The region where Eng minority living was mountainous and hilly, they have to cultivate by clearing the jungle for hilly side farm at the slope of it. But at some places, there had a few plain lands and planted the paddy at there. Other crops they cultivated were hillside-farm-rice, rice, sweet corns, sugar-cane, millet, cotton, tea leaf plant, tobacco and vegetables. Eng minority have the tradition of worshipping Net and when it was time of hilly side farm agriculture they have to worship it.

Photo by: U Hla Myint Swe

The process of worshipping Nat was firstly, they have to buy a water buffalo with the money collecting by the whole village. The buffalo they bought should black in color with completed features of it. It must be strong growing body and male one. Nat master killed the buffalo with spear hitting at under of its shoulder with one stroke. After that cutting the head of buffalo and made offering it to Nat after at the top of the village with alcohol and Eng ale. According hillside rice cultivation will be yielding well, that was what their belief.

U Hla Myint Swe
Photo by: U Hla Myint Swe