Nagaland's Longwa village straddles India-Myanmar border, which runs through chief's house

Longwa village in Nagaland is one of those places that surprise people when they hear about it. Set on the India-Myanmar border, it is talked about around the world for its layout and its way of life. A border line usually runs along a river or across a plain, but here the international boundary passes straight through the residence of the village chief.

Longwa lies in Nagaland's Mon district and is counted among the district's largest and most important villages. Green hills, deep valleys and dense forest surround it. Its biggest distinction, however, is the international border. The official line between India and Myanmar runs right through the middle of the village, so one part falls within India and the rest within Myanmar. For this reason it is known as a unique border village across Asia.

The village's main attraction is the home of its traditional chief, the Ang. The international border passes exactly through the spot where the house stands. Put simply, if the chief sits in one room of the house to eat, he is considered to be in India, and if he moves to another room or onto a bed, he is within Myanmar. This unusual construction has made the house a special draw for tourists and researchers. Visitors do not need a passport or visa to enter it, because the village and its people remain bound by a special cultural relationship.

Longwa is also known worldwide for the historical and cultural heritage of the Konyak Naga community that lives here. The Konyak Naga are a large and respected tribe of Nagaland, whose ancestors have lived in this remote hill region for hundreds of years. Modern politics or the division of countries may have drawn a line between India and Myanmar, but for these local tribal communities the line exists only on paper. Their relationships, customs, old traditions and community life continue to hold together across the border.

Many researchers and tourists come from India and abroad to see the Konyak Naga's traditional woodwork, the art of tattooing, their distinctive dress and their festivals. All authority over the village's social and cultural affairs rests with the traditional Ang, who receives a respect handed down through generations.

The water here is also divided between two countries. According to tourism information from the Mon district administration, four rivers flow through Longwa village. Exactly two of them flow towards Indian territory and the other two towards Myanmar. Although people living in the same village are considered citizens of two different countries, their language, food habits, farming, and joys and sorrows have always been the same.

The India-Myanmar border passes through many tribal areas, yet an example like Longwa is rarely found anywhere in the world. Many families on both sides of the border are related to one another and can easily visit each other's homes. Longwa has now become a must-see place for tourists visiting Nagaland. The peace, the hospitality and the unusual experience of living under one roof on the border of two countries stay in visitors' memory.