Headscarf

The checkered pattern scarves of red, pink or orange shades are worn by women of the ethnic Pa-O living on the swampy shores of Inle Lake in the State of Shan. This is a local variety of headwear : in Kalaw, an hour's drive from the lake, shawls have an even tone and no trace of the checkered pattern. The Pa-O are also called the Black Karen and by the language they really are close to the Karen. However, the mountain life of the people in the last century has gained a notable difference from that of the Karens, inhabitants of the plains of the west of Burma, and the same can be said about their attire. Most of the Pa-O now profess Buddhism. Burma, Shan, Inle Lake.