Panthay
The Panthays or Hui-Hui are Chinese Muslims who originally came to Burma as muleteers on the trade routes between China and Burma. They are thought to have mixed origins, most likely as descendants of Persian, Arab and Central-Asian Muslim traders who migrated to China in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and became naturalised. The Panthays became famous as caravan drivers, taking goods from China as far south as Rangoon and Moulmein. Their main occupation was trade, and they often used slaves to carry out their domestic work.
Along with other Chinese descendants, Burma's Panthays can be found in scattered settlements in the Shan State, including the Wa and Kokang sub-states near the Chinese border.
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