Kengtung ( , ), also spelt Kyaingtong (; ), classical name Tungapuri, is a city in

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

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 ...

(formerly Burma). It is the principal town of

Kengtung Township Kengtung Township (, ; also spelled ''Kyaingtong'', Kengtong, or ''Mueang Chiang Tung'') is a township of Kengtung District in the Shan State of Myanmar. The principal town is Kengtung. It lies almost entirely east of the Salween River and it ...

and the former seat of

Kengtung State Kengtung (; ''Chiang Tung;'' ), known as Menggen Prefecture ( zh, 孟艮府) or Möng Khün tusi, Chiefdom or Mueng Khuen Fu (administrative division)#China, Fu (Khün language, Tai Khün: ), classical name Khemarattha, was a Shan people, ...

, a minor principality. Kengtung is located on the National Highway 4 (NH4) and at the

AH2 Asian Highway 2 (AH2) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak, and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran. The route is connected to M10 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. The route is as follows: ...

and AH3 of the

Asian Highway The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...

. It is also the largest city and the capital of eastern

, Myanmar.

Etymology

Owing to Kengtung's proximity to China and Thailand, the city is known by a number of exonyms and endonyms. The endonym used by Tai Khun and Tai Lue-speaking locals is Jeng Tung (ᨾᩮᩨ᩠ᨦᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᨲᩩᨦ) respectively. Other Shan speakers use the exonym Kengtung. The most common exonym, Kyaingtong, is derived from the Burmese approximation of Kengtung. The exonym of Chiang Tung (, ) is used by Thai speakers, while Chinese speakers use Jingdong ( zh, s=景栋, t=景棟, p=Jǐngdòng).

History

The early history of Kengtung is made up of myths and legends. The

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

of the ai peoplesays that the ancient city of Kengtung was founded in the distant past by Tai Lue as the original inhabitants of the region, and was later reestablished by the grandson of King

Mangrai Mangrai (; ; c. 1238–1311) was the 25th king of Ngoenyang (r. 1261–1292) and the first king of Lanna (r. 1292–1311). He established a new city, Chiang Mai, as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom (1296–1558).Wyatt, D. K. Thailand, A Short Hi ...

after defeating the Tai Lue. This migration of the

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

dynasty in the 13th century, with the founding a new kingdom which was later named

Lanna The Lan Na kingdom or the Kingdom of Lanna (, , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; , , ), also known as Lannathai, was an Indianized state centered in present-day Northern Thailand from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The cultural developme ...

, has resulted in Kengtung having a different type of Tai population from the rest of the

, the

Tai Khün Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film ''Clueless'' *Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses * Avianca El Sal ...

. Kengtung, like other major towns in the Shan Plateau, was home to a Shan

Saopha Saopha (), also spelled Sawbwa, was the title used by hereditary rulers of Shan states in Upper Myanmar. Chaopha and Chao Fa were similar titles used by the hereditary Tai rulers in mainland Southeast Asia and the Ahom kingdom in India. Nam ...

(Sawbwa). Kengtung was the capital of the

. In 1905,

Sao Kawng Kiao Intaleng Sao Kawng Kiao Intaleng succeeded his brother to become the 53rd ruler ( Sawbwa) of the Shan state Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang ...

built the

Kengtung Palace Kengtung Palace, also known as the Kengtung Haw () or Kyaingtong Haw (), was the former residence of the ruler of Kengtung State, a principality in modern-day Myanmar (Burma). Built in 1906, the palace was demolished by the Burmese military on 9 No ...

. The city was seized and occupied by the Thai

Phayap Army Phayap Army (; ; ) was the hastily combined forces between the Royal Thai Army (RTA) and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) that invaded the Siamese Shan States (present day Shan State, Myanmar) of Burma on 10 May 1942 during the Burma campaign of ...

from 1942 until the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and became the headquarters of the

Saharat Thai Doem ''Saharat Thai Doem'' () was an administrative division of Thailand. It encompassed parts of the Shan States of British Burma annexed by the Thai government after the Japanese conquest of Burma. By means of this annexation, Axis powers, Axis-a ...

territory. The headquarters of the regional military command of the

Tatmadaw The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...

is in the town.Donald M. Seekins, ''Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar)'', p. 251 Kyaing Tong Market Aerial view

Geography

Kengtung contains several lakes. The largest, Naung Tung Lake, lies in the western part of the city, followed by Naung Kham Lake and Naung Yarng Lake to the south of the Kentung Roman Catholic Mission.

Transportation

The town is served by

Kengtung Airport Kengtung Airport is an airport in Kengtung, Shan State, 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. ...

An Embraer 190 of Myanmar National Airline at Kyaing Tong Airport

Kengtung is located on the National Highway 4 (NH4) and at the

and AH3 of the

Climate

Kengtung has a tropical wet and dry/ savanna climate (Köppen-Geiger classification: Aw) with a pronounced dry season in the low-sun months, no cold season, wet season is in the high-sun months. Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months (December–February) are milder and nights can be quite cool. There is a winter dry season (December–April) and a summer wet season (May–November).

Education

* Keng Tung University * Keng Tung Computer University * Keng Tung Technological University * Keng Tung Education Degree College * Government Technical High School (Keng Tung)

Health care

* Keng Tung General Hospital

Bibliography

* Forbes, Andrew; Henley, David (2011). ''Traders of the Golden Triangle''. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN: B006GMID5 * J. G. Scott, ''Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States''. 5 volumes Rangoon, 1900-1901. * Sao Sāimöng Mangrāi, ''The Pādaeng Chronicle and the Kengtung State Chronicle Translated''. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1981

External links

''The Happy City''
a 1959 film on a remote leper colony run by Father Cesare Columbo in Kengtung, Shan State
pictures from Kengtung

References

Notes

{{Authority control Populated places in Shan State