Mawlamyine (Moulmein)

Situates at the mouth of the Thanlwin (Salween) , Gyaing rivers and the Attaran Creek entering the sea is the second busiest seaport & third largest city in Myanmar. Railroad from Yangon via Bago ends at Moketama (Martaban Gulf) 169 miles. The railroad continues south up to Ye terminal (90 miles), but the motor road continues up to Myeik (Mergui) to the far south. The atmosphere of post-colonial decay is still palpable here. Mawlamying was the capital of British Burma from 1827 to 1852, during which time it was a major teak port. This city will always be associated with Kipling's famous verse: "By the old Moulmein pagoda lookin' lazy at the sea.

Thre's a Burmese girl a-settin' and I know she thinks o' me, For the wind is in the palm trees and the temple bells they say come you back, you British soldier, come you back to Mandalay!" The Payon Cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites contains innumerable Buddha images installed in shrines while the Kawgaun Cave, locally called the Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas, has a great number of Buddha figures in various forms and sizes. About 300 km away from Yangon, it can be reached by road and rail or by a 40-minute's flight from Yangon.

Kyaik-Than-lan Pagoda
Kyaik-thanlan pagoda was erected in 875 A.D. during the reign of King Mutpi Raja. A hair relic of the Buddha, Tripitaka manuscripts and gold images of the Buddha were enshrined in the pagoda. Successive kings raised the pagoda higher, from 56 feet to the present 150 feet. The present base of the pagoda is 450 feet in circumference. There are 34 small pagodas called Zediyan surrounding the pagoda.

Thanbyuzayat
About 34 km from Mawlamyine, Thanbyuzayat was the starting point of the "Death Railway" connecting Myanmar and Thailand with the Bridge on the River Kwai, constructed by the Japanese during World War II. There is a well-kept Allied War Memorial Cemetery for prisoners-of-war who died while building the "Death Railway" during World War II; the Railway Museum and a Japanese-built pagoda in memory of the perished Japanese engineers and prisoners-of-war.


Kyaikhkami
Another 28 km southward lies Kyaikkhami, a popular coastal resort during British times with its well-known Kyaikkhami Pagoda built literally in the sea. Like the rest of Mon State, Mawlamying, Thanbyuzayat and Kyaikhkami have a hot and wet climate.