Kyaikmaraw (; ) is a town in the

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 ...

of south-east

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 ...

, southeast of

Mawlamyine Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; ; , ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' southeast of Yangon and south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient ...

Etymology

"Kyaikmaraw" 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 "Kyaikparo" (; ), which means "prominent Buddha."

History

Inscriptions from 1455 in Kyaikmaraw records the dedication of land to a shrine by Shin Sawbu, then Queen of Pegu, and is the earliest dated inscription of Middle Mon. In 2024, Kyaikmaraw was hit by artillery barrages and air raids, which resulted in the injury of 2 people.

Attractions

Kyaikmaraw Paya, a huge Buddha image sitting in the "westerner manner" is a major tourist site in town. It was built in 1455 by Queen Shin Saw Pu, the only female ruler in the history of Myanmar.

Notable people

Tun Tun Min Tun Tun Min (; born 4 October 1992) is a Burmese Lethwei fighter of Mon descent, former openweight Lethwei World Champion. In 2014, he became the youngest fighter to ever win the Lethwei Golden Belt, obtaining the title at age o ...

, Lethwei former World Champion

References

Township capitals of Myanmar Populated places in Mon State {{Mon-geo-stub