• Burmese
Sunday, July 20, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
29 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home Specials

The Last Pipe-Makers of Belu Island

Nyein Nyein by Nyein Nyein
March 24, 2017
in Specials
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Craftsman Mann Ngwe Win smokes a 10-headed ogre pipe. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

Craftsman Mann Ngwe Win smokes a 10-headed ogre pipe. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

CHAUNG ZON, Mon State — Crafting smoking pipes in Burma has never been a big business, although it has endured through generations. Now the dwindling cottage industry relies on a handful of people in Ywalut village of Chaungzon Township to keep it alive.

As part of Mon State’s Belu Islands, Ywalut is a tourist attraction for its handcrafted pipes and wooden walking sticks, while its neighbor, Mudoon, has made itself a name for producing writing slates (known in Burmese as kyauk thin bone).

A 10-minute ferry trip from Moulmein (Mawlamyine), the capital of Mon State, Chaungzon Township is a collection of more than 70 villages, with a population of 120,000.

RelatedPosts

Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

Two Prominent Myanmar Ex-Political Prisoners Die Hours Apart in Yangon

July 10, 2025
943
Mon Groups Vow to Boost Attacks on Myanmar junta

Mon Groups Vow to Boost Attacks on Myanmar junta

June 19, 2025
1.2k
Skulls, Smoke and Spirits: Thai Ceremony Honors the Unclaimed Dead

Skulls, Smoke and Spirits: Thai Ceremony Honors the Unclaimed Dead

April 29, 2025
449

Standing in the middle of Ywalut is a three-meter high ‘Made in Ywalut’ pipe, flanked by three Brahminy Ducks, a cultural symbol for ethnic Mon people. Craftsman Mann Ngwe Win, who has a rich heritage of pipe making, created the sculpture in 2014.

He has been making pipes for four and a half decades, inheriting the business, the 555 Special Walking Stick and Wooden Cottage Industry, from his father and working from his own two-story home.

The 60-year-old proudly reflects on the legacy of his grandfather, U Nyunt, the first person in the area to make wooden pipes. Working during the colonial era, U Nyunt’s innovative approach to the craft earned him an award in Moulmein, says his grandson.

Mann Ngwe Win’s pipes are getting noticed for their quality and distinctive carvings; depicting portraits of former US President Barack Obama, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to name a few, as well as the legendary ten-headed ogre pipe.

Intricate portraits take at least two days to complete, the old man explains, while a simple pipe could be finished within hours.

“But it takes 10 days to finish a ten-headed ogre pipe,” he says, showing how to smoke it. “This is my tenth one. I only start making a new one once I’ve sold the last.”

Meghan Menchhofer, an educator and immigration activist from the US state of Indiana, who was visiting Mon State with Moulmein-Fort Wayne Sister City International, examined some carvings in the workshop.

“We like to shop locally and meet the local community,” she says. “We found out this is one of the local factories, so we came here to support the business and see what type of things they make – it’s beautiful here.”

The pipes are made from quality ironwood, ideally from the kino (gum) tree or teak, which is transported from central Burma towns such as Pyinmana.

A few families in Ywalut still make pipes and sell them at national markets, mainly west in Arakan State or south in Dawei. Some entrepreneurial spirits produce simple pipes, lower quality than the carved pipes but easier and quicker to make if the orders are there.

The pipe-making business slumped in the late 20th century because of a lack of raw materials, says Mann Ngwe Win, and many families moved to Pegu and other areas or migrated to neighboring countries like Thailand in search of work.

“Even though the logo ‘Made in Ywalut’ is well known, very few people work in this industry anymore,” he says. “Especially compared to the past.”

Lamenting that these cottage industries never received strong support from the government, Mann Ngwe Win adds, “We’re all on our own.”

But this has not finished Ywalut’s pipe makers. His eldest son, Aung San Oo, helps him to make pipes and walking sticks.

“I learned how to make those pipes in my childhood,” says Aung San Oo, while carving. “I’ve always been interested in it, and picked it up after school.”

He says a simple pipe will take at least three hours to finish. Walking sticks in the workshop are just as beautiful as the pipes and can be ordered, as can wooden scabbards, too.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: ArtsCultureHeritageMon State
Nyein Nyein

Nyein Nyein

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

Myanmar Civil Society, Burmanization, and the Bars and Coffee Shops of Thailand
Guest Column

Myanmar Civil Society, Burmanization, and the Bars and Coffee Shops of Thailand

by R. J. Aung and Tony Waters
November 18, 2023
10.9k

After the 2021 coup the donors, NGOs and CSOs of ‘Peaceland’ decamped from Yangon to Thailand, but their Western, ‘we-know-best’...

Read moreDetails
Charting Myanmar Strongman Ne Win’s Tragic Legacy
Books

Charting Myanmar Strongman Ne Win’s Tragic Legacy

by Mon Mon Myat
July 18, 2024
10.3k

In a new book, Saw Eh Htoo and Tony Waters examine the late dictator’s policy of Burmanization and how it...

Read moreDetails
Fishing Families in Myanmar’s Mon State Given Fiery Ultimatum
Burma

Fishing Families in Myanmar’s Mon State Given Fiery Ultimatum

by The Irrawaddy
May 9, 2024
5.7k

Junta soldiers tell residents of small fishing village that they will burn them out if they do not pay compensation...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar’s NUG Fights to Shield Mandalay’s Ancient Cities From Junta Firestorm
Burma

Myanmar’s NUG Fights to Shield Mandalay’s Ancient Cities From Junta Firestorm

by Brian Wei
January 19, 2024
3.6k

Parallel civilian government declares heritage status for seven sites after regime troops destroy museum and heritage in Rakhine and Sagaing.  

Read moreDetails
A Compelling Chronicle of Myanmar’s Rich Cinematic History
Books

A Compelling Chronicle of Myanmar’s Rich Cinematic History

by Bertil Lintner
May 20, 2024
3.5k

Films have always provided Myanmar people with a way “to look at the past through a fancy new lens but...

Read moreDetails
KIO/KIA’s Unspoken Objective in Myanmar’s Revolution: Uniting the Kachin Into a Nation
Guest Column

KIO/KIA’s Unspoken Objective in Myanmar’s Revolution: Uniting the Kachin Into a Nation

by Zung Ring
December 9, 2024
3.5k

Successful Kachin nation building will require the participation of all Kachin groups.

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Suspect Mawlawi Adulamein was arrested on March 7, 2017. / State Counselor’s Office

At Least 15 Arrested for Armed Attack Plot in Maungdaw

Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘We Ethnic People Tolerate as Much as We Can’

Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘We Ethnic People Tolerate as Much as We Can’

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

5 days ago
1.5k
Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

1 week ago
3.6k

Most Read

  • More Than 20,000 Displaced As Myanmar Junta Burns Homes Around World Heritage Site

    More Than 20,000 Displaced As Myanmar Junta Burns Homes Around World Heritage Site

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Protecting Irrawaddy Flotilla Kill 20

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Nation Where Brave Hearts—and Martyrs—Dwell

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Indian Top Brass Visit Myanmar After Cross-Border Drone Attack

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s Recapture of Nawnghkio Shows Strategic Missteps by TNLA

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.