Tobacco Pipe Making Business: Expecting an influx of tourists for booming business

With its unique handcrafted tobacco pipe making business, Ywalut village of Belu Island in ChaungSone Township is well renowned for its quality tobacco pipes throughout Myanmar’s history.

The good quality MADE IN YWALUT tobacco pipes were once popular and successful to some extent not only domestically but also abroad.

The very first person who introduced tobacco pipe in Myanmar was Sayar U Nyunt, the father of Myanmar’s tobacco pipe industry. He created wooden pipes since the colonial era and won the honorable first prize in exhibitions and competitions during the reign of British.

Ywalut Tobacco Pipes penetrates the global market with its handcrafted pipes, depicting the portraits of world leaders in addition to its ordinary tobacco pipes.

Owner, 555 tobacco pipe business, Manh Ngwe Win said "I started this business at the age of 25 and showcased my creativity skill at the various competitions and exhibitions in Upper and Lower Myanmar including Mon State and 10 ASEAN countries, also. "

Padauk and teak woods are mainly used in tobacco pipe making. Although Ywalut-made tobacco pipes were once favored by foreigners, it led to steep decline in sales during these year due to downturn in tourist arrival, according to the business owner.  

Owner, 555 tobacco pipe business, Manh Ngwe Win said "Back then, our product is hugely popular among the tourists. The visitors from Germany, France and Italy came to buy our hand-made pipe. Now, there are no foreign buyers at all but only domestic travelers. I started operating my sculpture business on a manageable scale and carved Buddha statues and banisters to make a living.  I believed our tobacco pipe making business will revive if the government will put concerted efforts in speedy recovery of business in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce."

The Ywalut villagers have been running the tobacco pipe making business as a profession around 100 years. Though the whole villagers used to work the tobacco pipe businesses, the business is in decline since the late 1990s. With the scarcity of raw materials, the number of people using tobacco pipes has decreased. Some locals are worried that tobacco pipe businesses in Ywalut will fade away soon and are expecting an influx of tourists.