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In the past, the Akha settled
down and set up their communities only in
the upper part of Mae Kok River. At present,
they are also found in some other provinces
such as Chiang Rai. Chiang Mai. Tak, Lampang
and Phrae.
When fully dressed
up, an Akha woman looks breathtakingly beautiful
from head to toe. To begin with the upper garment,
an eye- catching embroidered hat decorated with
silver coins and silver accessories is worn. A
short blouse of which the back part is a colorful
patchwork is put on top of a short skirt. Her
waist is tied with a band, which is decorated
beautifully  at
both ends. Down to the lower part of the body,
there are leg pads patched together from small
pieces of clothes similar to the back part of
the blouse.
An Akha man wears a long-sleeved,
round neck and open-drone shirt, of which the
patterns and decorations vary. Overall, the
designs and colors of Akha men's upper garment
are not very much dissimilar to women's blouses.
As for the lower part, a pair of plain Chinese-style
trousers with loose legs is worn. On some occasions,
a black headdress made of a piece of cloth tied
and wrapped together so tightly that it can
be put on and taken off just like a hat.
In most cases, the ornaments are stitched onto
the clothes. Silver necklaces and bangles are
worn in addition to the headdress decorated
with silver accessories.
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