Monthly Photos
Photos taken by ILCAA staff and associates are posted here once a month; most of them are taken during their field research in Asia and Africa.
(The copyright belongs to the photographers.)
Confluence of the Mali and Nmai Rivers
The Mali and Nmai rivers, which originate in the Himalayan glaciers, come together in northern Myanmar to form the mighty Irrawaddy River, which flows from north to south through the country. A folktale about this confluence has been passed down among the Kachin people of northern Myanmar. Long ago, a mother and her child arrived at this place in search of food. They agreed to split up — one following the Nmai River and the other the Mali River — promising to meet again where the rivers join. But upstream, the two rivers never flow together. As they wandered through the forest calling out to each other, they eventually lost their lives before they could reunite. After death, they were transformed into cicadas. The mother calls out, "Sha Yi!" (My child!), and the child replies, "Nu Yi!" (Mother!). Even today, the distinct songs of cicadas along the two rivers are said to echo their voices.
February 27, 2011
Kachin State, Myanmar
Photographed by Keita KURABE
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