Pway Na Phar Village
Village name & history
This village is aptly named after its nearby natural landmarks. Pway translates to “stony hill” and Na Phar means a continuous row—and there’s a range of stony hills rising above the village in multiple directions. One is even crowned with four beautiful white pagodas (see banner photo above).
Daw Phyu Pu and Daw Mya Hnin, the two women farmers to win Myanmar’s first cupping competition, continue to be leaders in their community and are the reason coffee from this village is produced year on year to the highest standard. The result is large beans that are all incredibly consistent in size and shape.
The people
The mountainous areas around Ywangan and Pindaya towns make up the ancestral homeland of the Danu people—and together they form the Danu Self-Administered Zone in Shan State. This Zone is also home to the Shwe Taung Thu co-op and each of Ywangan’s coffee-producing villages.
The name Danu comes from Pali, the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism, and translates to “archer,” referring to the awesome legend of Prince Kummabhaya and the Pindaya Caves. Among the stalactites and stalagmites high on a limestone ridge, the Prince famously used his bow and arrow to rescue seven princesses trapped in the caves by a giant spider. They carry this heroic story with them through the Danu name, which also underpins the spirit of their language and centuries of distinct customs born from this mystical region.
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