Dawei
(, ; , ; ,
RTGS: ''Thawai'', ; formerly known as Tavoy) is a city in south-eastern
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
and is the capital of the
Tanintharyi Region
Tanintharyi Region (, ; Mon: or ; formerly Tenasserim Division and Tanintharyi Division) is a region of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the northern Malay Peninsula, reaching to the Kra Isthmus. It borders ...
, formerly known as the Tenasserim Division, on the eastern bank of the
Dawei River. The city is about southeast of
Yangon
Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
. Its population (2014 estimate) is 146,964. Dawei is a port at the head of the Dawei River
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
, . from the
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated f ...
. As a result, the city is prone to flooding during the monsoon season.
Dawei People is also the name of one of Myanmar's 135 ethnic minorities.
Etymology
''Dawei'' derives from the
Mon language
The Mon language, formerly known as Peguan and Talaing, is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon people. Mon, like the related Khmer language, but unlike most languages in mainland Southeast Asia, is not tonal. The Mon language is a recogn ...
term ''hawai'' (; ), which means 'to sit cross-legged', in reference to the Buddha's sitting posture on the
palin (throne)
''Palin'' (; from , or 'sofa') refers to any one of six types of thrones recognized in traditional Burmese scholarship. The ''palin'' is an important symbol of the Burmese monarchy and features prominently in Burmese architecture and Burmese Budd ...
.
History
The area around the Dawei River estuary has been inhabited for centuries by
Dawei,
Mon,
Kayin, and
Thai mariners.
As the ancient site, Sagara City, old Dawei, which is approximately 6 miles north of the present city, has so many traces of
Pyu culture, it was recognized as one of the province capitals in the ancient Pyu era. The evidence of burial urns, beads, coins and other features of Pyu culture have been excavated in the area by the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, Myanmar.
From the 11th to the 13th centuries, Dawei was part of the
Pagan Empire. From 1287 to 1564, Dawei became part of the
Sukhothai Kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom was a post-classical Siamese kingdom (Mandala (political model), ''maṇḍala'') in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thaila ...
and its successor, the
Ayutthaya Kingdom
The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...
(Siam). From 1564 to 1594, Dawei was part of the
Toungoo Kingdom of Burma. Siam
temporarily regained the city between 1594 and 1614. From 1614 to the 1740s, Dawei was the southernmost city under Burmese authority and was defended by a Burmese garrison. In the late 1740s, during the Burmese civil war of 1740–1757, Dawei, along with the northern Tenasserim coast, was taken over by Siam. Burma
regained the city in 1760 and
extended its control over the entire Tenasserim coast, in 1765. The Tenasserim coast was ceded to the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
after the
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826).
After independence in 1948, the city became part of the
Tenasserim Division, which also included today's
Mon State
Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the north and Tanintharyi Region to the south, also having a short border with Thailand's Kanchanabu ...
. In 1974, Mon State was carved out of Tenasserim and Dawei became the capital of the truncated division. In 1989, the city's English name was changed from Tavoy to Dawei, and Tenasserim became Tanintharyi.
Climate
Dawei features an extreme
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Am''), similar to
Sittwe
Sittwe (, ), formerly Akyab (), is the capital of Rakhine State, Myanmar (Burma). Sittwe is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptying into the Bay of Bengal. As of 2019 the cit ...
further north-west. There is a substantial dry season from November to March, but in the wet season the influence of local mountains causes Dawei to receive as much as precipitation per month. Apart from
the Chocó region of Colombia, and the area around
Mount Cameroon in Africa, it is possibly the wettest lowland tropical region in the world.
Transport
Only recently was Dawei connected to the rest of
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
by road and rail. A transnational highway and a railway line across the
Tenasserim Hills connecting Dawei and
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
are planned if a proposed
deep water port project goes ahead. This port could significantly reduce
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
-bound traffic when completed.
Dawei Airport
The airport serves as the domestic airport for the city of Dawei and the neighbouring towns. The government plans to upgrade the airport to serve as a hub for tourism.
Dawei Railway Station
It is the southernmost station and terminus in Myanmar. However the railway was partly constructed for a further 40 km approximately to the south towards Min Dat bridge and south Myanmar. Work ceased on this line in about 2012 but several partly constructed sections with bridges over rivers are visible on Google Earth.
Economy
There are plans to construct a
deep water port in Dawei. In November 2010, the
Myanmar Port Authority signed a US$8.6 billion deal with
Italian-Thai Development to develop the seaport at Dawei. The
Dawei Special Economic Zone would become Myanmar's first
special economic zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
(SEZ), which includes plans to develop a industrial estate, with sea, land (railway and road) infrastructure links to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, as well as a gas pipeline to Thailand's
Kanchanaburi Province
Kanchanaburi (, ) is the largest of the western Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. The neighboring provinces are (clockwise, from the north) Tak province, Tak, Uthai Thani province, Uthai Thani, Suphan Buri province, Sup ...
and commercial and residential developments.
The development of the SEZ has been linked to land confiscations and land grabs from farmers of upwards of (direct) and , potentially displacing 500,000 Dawei natives.
The project has been opposed by a significant portion of the local ethnic population.
Dawei
longyi
A longyi (; ) is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Myanmar (Burma). It is approximately long and wide. The cloth is often sewn into a cylindrical shape. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet, and held in place by folding fabric over wi ...
s (
sarong
A sarong or a sarung (, ) is a large tube or length of textile, fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often ...
) are one of the area's well-known products.
The area produces
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds.
Types of polyisoprene ...
, dried fish, and
teakwood. It also produces
cashew nuts and
betel nuts and exports them through local traders to China, India, and Thailand. Dawei is also known for its variety of tropical fruits such as
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.
The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
s, a variety of
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
es,
mangosteens, and
durian. There is one fruit called ''zin thi'' (in Dawei language), which can only be found in Dawei and surrounding areas.
Higher education
*
Dawei Education College
*
Dawei University
*
Technological University, Dawei
*
Computer University, Dawei
*Government Agricultural Institute, Dawei
*Nursing Training School
Notable sites
*
Maungmagan Beach
*Maungmagan Hot Springs
*Shwe Taung Sar Pagoda, Payagyi
*Pe Hot Springs
*Launglon Bok Islands
*Paradise Beach
*Grand Father Beach
*Sin Htauk Beach
*Wa Zwam Chaung Waterfall and hot springs
*Ka Lone Htar Creek
*Sargara Ancient City (Old town of the present Dawei)
*Mokhti Ancient City
*Thayet Chaung Waterfall
Notable residents
*
Ba Swe, 2nd
Prime Minister of Union of Burma
*
Richard Bartholomew
*
Ngwe Gaing, Burmese artist
*
Ma Chit Po
Thura Burmese name#Honorifics, Ma Chit Po (; February 1908 – 8 April 1949) was a Burmese woman who was the one and only civilian woman to have received the Orders, decorations, and medals of Myanmar#Thura, Thura medal for bravery. She gathered ...
, only woman to be awarded the Thura Medal
See also
*
List of railway stations in Myanmar
*
Phu Nam Ron (Htee Kee)
References
External links
*
*
{{Coord, 14, 05, N, 98, 12, E, display=title
Township capitals of Myanmar
Populated places in Tanintharyi Region