My next posts in the “Yunnan Fringe” series will provide information and analysis on a Manau festival that was held in far western Yunnan, within sight of Burma, in March 2007. Some of these posts will focus on what goes on around the periphery of a Manau, in the areas where most people never point their cameras or focus their gaze. I hope to provide some record of the life and colour of the Manau beyond the more common images of formation dancing and colourful outfits.
From the first moment that I arrived in the village where this Manau was held I was struck (sometimes quite literally) by the groups of children running around with plastic guns. These guns - most of which can fire small pellets at high velocity - were for sale all over the Manau ground. The “gun” traders, who were almost all Burmese Muslims, were selling hundreds of these Chinese-made pistols, rifles and shotguns to young Jingpo, Shan and Chinese boys, and their parents.
Of course, many young boys (and girls) around the world love replica firearms, and delight in shooting their friends with any new armaments they can get their hands on. At the Manau not only was the variety of replica weapon technology on display quite remarkable but there was a general acceptance that the children (and even some adults) would spend every hour with their guns - firing at people, setting up targets and even ambushing other “armed” groups.
To give New Mandala readers some appreciation for this “gun culture” I have provided a small selection of my photos and video that help to clarify some of this unexpected activity.
Snapshot 1: Browsing for weapons
Some of the dozens of Burmese traders selling plastic guns at the Manau festival told me that a simple, small gun would sell for only 6 Yuan. More complex and powerful weapons could be had for up to 30 Yuan. They indicated that because most people who attended the festival had relatively little discretionary income it was worth selling large numbers of cheap guns, rather than just a few more expensive ones.
Snapshot 2: A plastic gun store
This short, unedited video should give New Mandala readers more of a feel for the ambience of the Manau festival and its “gun” culture. I can be heard on this particular clip in conversation with the replica gun salesman. I ask him if I can take his picture, and then he grabs the big gun to strike a pose!
Snapshot 3: Taking aim
This gun cost 20 Yuan. Some of the boys said it could hit a target at least 25 metres away. Somewhat surprisingly, this boy is shooting at a crowd of young adults - but I don’t think he hit anyone!
Snapshot 4: Waiting for customers
Snapshot 5: Jingpo sword and bag
Of course, the Jingpo in China (and their Kachin cousins in Burma) have a long association with warfare and weapons that goes back (in most accounts) right to the start of their southwards migration. On both sides of the border there are lots of guns and swords, and every male dancer in the large Manau dances carries a ceremonial piece. It is not just the young boys who get armed for the Manau festivities.
Snapshot 6:
Snapshot 7: Dancing with swords
This picture, taken on the last day of the Manau festivities, gives a clearer idea of the prominent position of swords in the Manau dances. I will be writing much more about the dances, and their implications, in future posts as part of the New Mandala feature on the “Yunnan Fringe“.
Snapshot 8: Kachin Swords at the Manau Ground
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) - which fought the Burmese government from 1961 until ceasefire negotiations began in 1993 - uses crossed Kachin swords as its main symbol. Some, but certainly not all, people at this Manau had strong connections to Kachin in Burma, and to the KIA.
Snapshot 9: KIA shoulder patch
There is much more that can be written about the guns and swords that featured at this Manau festival. These images and brief notes are just a start.
Very soon, I will be bringing New Mandala readers a taste of other elements of the Manau including a long discussion of photography, and its place in the festivities.
12 responses so far ↓
1 aiontay // May 3, 2007 at 9:41 am
It should be pointed out that the nhtu- or “sword” has uses beyond warfare. It can be used for quite mundane purposes, like cutting up chicken. I have two, one a gift, and the other one I bought in the market in Maymyo. The Maymyo “sword” is great for wood working; I was doing some rough carving with it a couple of days ago.
And there is a marital as well as a martial side to the nhtu as well. The more decorated swords are given to the husband by his wife, rather like a wedding ring. In addtion, guns, swords and even spears still have ritual importance in terms of gift giving, as Leach described. A Kachin living in the US told me of his marriage to a Kachin woman also living in the US, and part of his bride price included spears.
2 Amateur // May 3, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Thanks Nich for this nice post!
The two men in the snapshot 6 however look quite bizarre, rather like members of Sioux tribe. Is that a shaman dress? I haven’t seen this on any pictoral account on the Jingpo/Kachin…
3 Nicholas Farrelly // May 3, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Aiontay is, of course, right on the money with his description of non-martial uses of Kachin swords.
Amateur,
The men in snapshot 6 are, as you surmise, the ritual leaders of the Manau. They are central to the festivities and are involved in the formation dancing from beginning to end. If New Mandala readers are interested, I may make a post devoted to them in coming days.
Best wishes to all.
4 aiontay // May 3, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Sioux? OK, maybe they do look a bit like contemporary grass dancers at a contest powwow, or maybe grass dancers looking for a 49.
On a more serious note, I would like to see a discussion about these men, since in the old days they would have been the priests, prophets and ceremonial leaders. In contemporary Burma they are often Christian pastors and church leaders. Who are they in China? I notice they are wearing hornbill heads, or replicas of them, rather than just the feathers as you usually see.
5 chut // May 4, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I thought the BB (Bullet Balls) ones are made in China, no? Found a lot of them at Mae Sai market. The variety of them and the price in Manau make the Mae Sai market envies.
6 Daniel Powell // May 14, 2007 at 8:50 pm
I too find this whole idea of toy guns at festivals very interesting. Last month I spent a few weeks photo-documenting Shan Poi Sang Long festivals here in Chiang Mai. I was amused as young boys had mock gun battles throughout the temple grounds, hiding behind naga statues with their pistols ready. In fact, on the eve of one Poi Sang Long, even some of the sang longs with freshly shaved heads were having one last machine gun battle before their ordination ceremonies. Interesting imagery. Thanks for bringing up this topic Nic!
7 Mandy Sadan // Jul 20, 2007 at 10:11 pm
It’s my first time to this site - really interesting post and great site. If anyone is interested, I wrote a chapter on the early origins of this kind of manau festival in Burma in ‘Burma: Art & Archaeology’ T. Blurton & A. Green (eds), British Museum Press, 2002 and various other things, which explains a bit, Aiontay, about the ritual officers and their role and its transformations ( I spent a few years studying the ritual language used in Burma). Ho Ts’ui P’ing at Academica Sinica has also done a lot of work on the festival in Yunnan. Don’t want to fill the site here with loads of detail that everyone might not want but would be very happy to exchange info with anyone. Terrific photographs.
8 jonfernquest // Jul 21, 2007 at 3:30 pm
“If anyone is interested, I wrote a chapter on the early origins of this kind of manau festival in Burma ..Don’t want to fill the site here with loads of detail that everyone might not want but would be very happy to exchange info with anyone.”
I am interested. Probably many others too. It will probably several years, if that, before your new book is to be found in Thailand or Southeast Asia.
9 Mandy Sadan // Aug 3, 2007 at 12:15 am
Jon, I’ll send a PDF to Nich to post on the site.
10 jonfernquest // Aug 3, 2007 at 4:53 am
Thanks. Looking forward to reading it.
11 Manau analysis from Mandy Sadan // Sep 13, 2007 at 10:07 pm
[...] The full extract (which runs to 37 pages) is available here. Readers are, as always, very welcome to post their comments and questions. Previous New Mandala discussion of Manau festivals is also available online. [...]
12 Manau festival in Myitkyina // Feb 2, 2008 at 8:13 pm
[...] Long-time readers may recall that I have previously written about a Manau festival here (and here and [...]
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