Gaung baung

Gaung baung

Two young Mon boys wearing Mon coloured paso and gaung baung
Type	Headwear
Material	Silk, cotton
Place of origin	Burma (Myanmar)

This article contains Burmese script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Burmese script.

The gaung baung (Burmese: ခေါင်းပေါင်း [ɡáʊɰ̃ báʊɰ̃]; Mon: သမိၚ် ဍိုပ်, [həmoiŋ dɒp]; Shan: ၶဵၼ်းႁူဝ် [kʰén.hǒ]; Northern Thai: เคียนหัว [kʰīan hǔa]) is a traditional Burmese kerchief and part of the traditional attire of many ethnic groups inhabiting modern day Burma and Northern Thailand, particularly among most of the Buddhist-professing ethnic groups: the Bamar, Mon, Arakanese, Shan, and Tai Yuan peoples. The design varies from region to region, but share basic similarities that distinguish the gaung baung from the kerchief.

Gaung baung literally means "head wrap" in the Burmese language. It is part of traditional ceremonial attire, worn at formal gatherings and ceremonies. The gaung baung is almost always a sign of rank, though no insignia or pattern exists to denote it. The gaung baung is more prevalent among the Arakanese and Shan ethnic groups.