Naung Sam Phu Village

Sitting opposite the valley from where most Indigo Mountain co-op communities are found, Naung Sam Phu stands as the most remote mountainside village in the co-op. The farmers here, led by U Khun Maung Song (center photo at bottom), decided to join Indigo Mountain in 2018 and were especially inspired by the successes the co-op was bringing – building on UNODC and USAID coffee programs – to make an enduring model for local communities transitioning from poppy farming to specialty coffee. Six years later and the producers continue to deliver a consistently delicious dry natural. While we’re all sold out for 2024, we’re thrilled to start connecting more roasters with this Pa-O community for the first time.

The people

As the tale goes, there was once a Weiza, or supernatual being, and a Dragon Mother who laid three eggs — one of which gave birth to the ethnic Pa-O people.

Today, the Pa-O make up the second largest ethnic group in Shan State. Their men and women are famous for their eye-catching turbans, which bring to life their fabled origin story. Pa-O women wear colorful headdresses to resemble the form of their Dragon Mother while Pa-O men drape theirs to the side to mimic their Weiza Father, whom many believe their people are all descendants of to this day.

Their community, however, is not originally from this mountainous region of Myanmar. They fled here nearly one thousand years ago after their coastal homeland, in modern day Mon State, was conquered by the Burmese Kingdom. Three hundred miles away in the Shan Hills, the Pa-O started a new life, bringing Buddhism and their strong traditions with them.