Akha women rarely go outside their homes with their heads uncovered. Traditionally, these women wear ornate headdresses of silver - which historically was the families bank (and stemmed from the opium trade with India). These headdresses are very difficult to maintain, and very heavy (10-25 pounds, 4-12 kilograms).
Modern-day Akha women wear hats of bamboo or woven straw or simply tie a scarf as their daily head covering, still wearing the traditional headdresses for celebrations, special occasions and ceremonies.
