Yepotegyi Village in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region, has become famous for its children who preserve the traditional “San-yit-wine” hairstyle (a style of hairdo with a top knot and a circular fringe) and the tourists from ASEAN countries, China, Japan, Korea and western countries visit there to observe their culture.
The Yepotegyi Village, San-yit-wine village as it is called, is located about seven miles northwest of Pwintbyu Township and the name “Yepotegyi” is derived from “Yezalotegyi” which refers to the lake in the form of a bird’s crop located on the east side of the village.
It is about three miles from Kyaung Kone Gyi village from Shauttaw Village of Pwintbyu and about four miles from Kyaung Kone Gyi Village to Yepotegyi Village.
Yepotegyi Village is a village that hands down Myanmar’s traditional culture from generation to generation.
The boys and girls wear traditional topknot style with a circular fringe starting at five months old and there are about 700 people who wear such hairstyle. There are five hairstyles such as “Oo-soon-phote” for infants, “Kyat-taung-si” for ones between the age of 3 and 4, San-yit-wine for ones between the age of 5 and 6, Japan’s “San-htauk” at the age of 16 and “Nauk-kauk” between the age of 17 and 18.
The San-yit-wine women’s organizations were formed in 2015. The town’s elders and villagers preserve their traditional hairstyle. The visitors can pay homage to Ayeya Thukha Koetaungpyae pagoda (aka) YadanaU Pagoda which King Mani Sithu and the queen visited. Moreover, the village boasts pagodas, monasteries and lakes and preserve its traditions. Therefore, world travellers from ASEAN and western European countries pay a visit to Yepotegyi Village in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region. – Zeyar Htet (Minbu)/KTZH
