Mawlamyine

Mawlamyine was the first capital of British Burma and it kept the buildings: churches, a mosque, colonial offices and shophouses strung along the Thanlwin riverfront, with a ridge of pagodas rising directly behind the town. Kyaikthanlan Paya on that ridge is the one associated with Kipling's poem about Moulmein, and the view from its terrace over the river, the islands and the roofs is the reason most people climb it at dusk. The town is Mon rather than Bamar in character and considerably quieter than its size suggests.

History

The old Mon name, Moulmein, is said to mean "damaged eye", from a legend of a Mon king whose third eye was put out by a bride from a neighbouring kingdom. Mawlamyine was counted among the thirty-two Mon cities of the Martaban division, and from 1826 to 1852 it was the first capital of British Burma (Wikipedia, Mawlamyine).

What's there

• Kyaikthanlan Paya - the ridge pagoda above the town, with the river view at sunset.
• The riverfront - colonial offices, warehouses and shophouses along the Thanlwin.
• The ridge line - a run of pagodas and monasteries along the hill behind the centre.
• The churches and mosque - a nineteenth-century Baptist church, a Catholic one and a working mosque in the centre.

When to go

November to February is dry and comfortable. Mon State catches the monsoon heavily from May to October and the rain is genuinely relentless. Sunset from the ridge is the fixed point of any visit.

Good to know

The town is spread out along the river and walking between sights in the heat is harder than the map suggests. Many colonial buildings are private or derelict and cannot be entered. Transport across the river to Bilu Island runs to informal schedules.

Nearby

Bilu Island is across the water, and Win Sein Taw Ya is south towards Mudon.

Key facts