Mingalabar!

Kyaikthanlan Pagoda, Mawlamyine
Kyaikthanlan Pagoda, Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine is the third largest city in Myanmar after Yangon and Mandalay situated 165 kilometers east of the nation's capital across the Gulf of Mottama at the mouth of the Thanlwin river. It is the capital of Mon State with a population of almost 300,000 people. Formerly known as Moulmein, it was once a thriving teak port and the administrative capital of British Lower Burma. The town's signature landmark is Kyaikthanlan pagoda built in 875 AD and  thought to be the site from where Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous poem, 'The Road to Mandalay'. It's unlikely that Kipling was referring to Mandalay Ward located at the base of Kyaikthanlan pagoda, but rather the 'Mandalay' in central Myanmar.

The Thanlwin bridge, the longest road and rail bridge in Myanmar is the most prominent landmark in the area. It stretches a distance of 11,000 feet over the Thanlwin river connecting the country's south eastern region with its capital, Yangon.

Mawlamyine is generally considered to be off the main tourist trail for most travellers to Myanmar but the town does have a charm of its own with its rich history, buildings with colonial style architecture, World War II era wooden buses, and its close proximity to the infamous Siam-Burma "death railway", making it a fascinating place to visit !

Mawlamyine wooden bus
Strand Rd, Mawlamyine with Thanlwin Bridge in the background
Today, the town has an interesting mix of Mon, Bamar, Karen, Chinese and Indian ethnicities, with the latter coming to Mawlamyine during British colonial rule when it was known as Moulmein. Although many people of Indian descent, being third or fourth generation 'Burmese', have now completely assimilated with Myanmar culture and language, traces of their heritage can still be seen by the numerous mosques that dot the town. One example is the majestic looking Surati mosque on Lower Main Rd built by the Indian community hailing from Surat in India during British colonial times.

Mawlamyine's close proximity to the Thai border only 150 km away also explains why so many of its population are able to speak Thai, albeit, at various levels of proficiency. Interestingly, a few are also conversant in Bahasa Melayu as well.

Mawlamyine girl wearing thanaka
Mawlamyine girl wearing thanaka
So if you've seen enough of the temples in Bagan or the pagodas in Mandalay and you'd like to experience a different Myanmar to that seen on the tourist trail, then Mawlamyine is the place to visit. With the opening of the Thanlwin Bridge and the vastly improved road conditions from Sittaung to Mottama travel time between Mawlamyine and the nation's capital can be achieved in as little as 6 six hours; half the time it took before. Such an investment in infrastructure suggests that overland travel between Thailand and Myanmar may be possible in the near future and when this happens, Mawlamyine will no doubt be an important stopover point for travellers and traders a like between Bangkok and Yangon.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2012 )