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)

The gaung baung (Burmese: ခေါင်းပေါင်း [ɡáʊɴ báʊɴ]; Mon: သမိၚ် ဍိုပ်, [həmoiŋ dɒp]; Shan: ၶဵၼ်းႁူဝ် [kʰén.hǒ]; Northern Thai: เฅียนหัว [xian.hǔa]) is a traditional Burmese turban 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, Rakhine, Shan, and Tai Yuan peoples. The design varies from region to region, but share basic similarities that distinguish the gaung baung from the turban.

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.

The design of the modern Burmese gaung baung emerged in the mid-20th century and is called maung kyetthayay (မောင့်ကျက်သရေ). It is a ready-made gaung baung made of cloth wrapped in a rattan frame and can be worn like a hat is worn. In the colonial era, silk gaung baungs called "B.A. gaung baung," traditionally worn at graduation ceremonies, were popular.