Mawlamyine (Formally known as Moulmein) is the fourth largest city in Myanmar (Formally known as Burma) and is accessible from the Burma River Cruises. Situated 300 km south-east of Rangoon and 70 km south of Thaton, Mawlamyine is one of Southeast Asia’s most scenic ports.
Visiting The Famous Pagodas of Mawlamyine
Once the capital city of the British-Ruled Myanmar, Mawlamyine is notably mentioned in the famous Rudyard Kipling poem ‘Mandalay’ which inspired by his climb up the ‘old Moulmein Pagoda’. Many years later, the Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda still remains one of the top attractions for tourists in the area. The Buddhist shrine, built during the year 875 AD during the reign of Mon King Mutpi Raja, the pagoda stands on a ridge and is 150 feet. The pagoda overlooks the green city below and out to sea taking in nearby islands, surrounding rivers, the Gulf of Martaban and the mountains of Kayin state. Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda is surrounded by 34 smaller temples. The nearby U-Zina pagoda is home to a number of sacred relics, one of which is a hair that belonged to Buddha.
View of the Kyaik Than Lan pagoda in Mawlamyine
The Tomb Of Princess Ashin Hteik Suhpaya
Near to the Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda, you can find the tomb of Princess Ashin Hteik Suhpaya, the daughter of the last king of the Konbanaung dynasty who returned to Burma in 1915 after living in exile. She died in 1936 and the remains of her don and daughter were also buried in the tomb in later years.
Other Religious Sites
In Moulmein (Mawlmyine), you will find a number of other religious buildings, including the First Baptist Church which was built in 1827, and St. Matthew’s Anglican Church build in 1887. While these buildings look somewhat out of place, they are a distinct reminder of the colonial influence in the area throughout the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century.
Following The Salween River
The city of Mawlamyine sits in the Salween River Delta, officially known as the Thanlwin River, the Salween flows for around 2815 km from the Tibetan Plateau down to the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. Taking a cruise on the Salween from Mawlamyine, you could enjoy a visit to Golden Rock, one of Burma’s most sacred sites. Golden Rock is a boulder that is perched on top of the edge of a cliff and is covered in gold. The tour takes you further down to Hpa-an where you can visit Kyak Ka Lett Pagona, also known as the Water Lake Monastery, and then the Kawka Thuag Cave which is used as a monastery. Elsewhere on the tour, you can visit Pegu. Formally the capital on the Mon Kingdom the city has an old wall, moat, and a number of pagodas, Shwethalyaung Buddha (Reclining Buddha), as well as a number of other interesting historical buildings built during the days of British colonial rule. The region was developed by the British to become one of the most important areas for growing rice in Burma.
