In 2014, I traveled to Myanmar/Burma for the first time. Since after, I became to like this country very much. The things that really impressed me are the people, food, culture and the countless temples around Burma.
When I first stepped onto the Burmese soil, the very first thing that caught my attention was the yellowish white paste on the faces of the women, children or even young men. This yellowish white paste is called Thanaka and it is made from ground bark. This unique feature of Burma's culture is used as a cosmetic to beautify skin and also to protect skin from the sun.
After seeing so many lovely faces of the Burmese people with or without Thanaka, I had decided to do a portrait photos collection of Burma faces. Portrait photography is something that I always want to do during my travel, but approaching people for a portrait shoot is a kind of difficult task for me. Nevertheless I tried and enjoyed taking some portrait photos when I was traveling in Myanmar/Burma.
Here are the portrait and candid photos of the people that I had met along the way, with or without their awareness.
1. Nyaung Shwe
Nyaung Shwe is a small town located in the South of the Taunggyi District and also a gateway to the popular tourist site, Inle Lake. | Location: Click Here For Map
2. Inle Lake
Inle Lake is a freshwater lake also the second largest lake in Myanmar. Today, Inle Lake has become one of the major tourist attractions in Myanmar. | Location: Click Here For Map
3. Mandalay
Mandalay is the second largest city and the former royal capital of Myanmar. This cultural city located on the Irrawaddy River is one of the top destinations in Myanmar. | Location: Click Here For Map
4. Bagan
Bagan is an ancient city located in the central region of Myanmar, and it is well known for its thousands of temples and pagodas. Today, the Bagan Archaeological Zone is the main attraction for Myanmar tourism. | Location: Click Here For Map
5. Yangon
Yangon is the largest city and the main business hub of Myanmar. Yangon is also well known for its great ethnic diversity with a mixture of British, Burmese, Chinese and Indian culture influences. Today, Yangon has one of the highest number of colonial heritage buildings in Southeast Asia. | Location: Click Here For Map
Till now, when I saw people with Thanaka on their faces, instantly I can tell that they are from Burma; it has already became a national identity for them. In future, if you happened to spot them, do approach them and say "Min.ga.lar.par" ("Hello" in Burmese).
Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.