Mindat

Mindat sits on the southern edge of Chin State's highlands — a hill town that opens onto some of Myanmar's most culturally distinctive landscapes. Chin State is home to dozens of sub-groups, each with its own language, dress, and traditions. The most widely known is the facial tattooing once practiced among older Chin women; the tattoos served different purposes across communities and the practice ended in the 1960s, so the tattooed generation is now elderly and the tradition will not continue.

Church spires and Sunday hymns mark many ridgeline villages where Christianity blended with older animist beliefs after British-era missionaries arrived. Hand-woven textiles from Chin weavers — geometric patterns that encode clan identity — are among the most beautiful in Myanmar, and buying directly from cooperatives in Mindat or Kanpetlet supports local makers.

Mindat is a base for treks toward Mount Victoria (Khaw Nu Soum) and remote villages with low visitor numbers. Access is slower than Shan or Mandalay routes, but the reward is genuine highland encounter away from the main trail.