Lashio ( ; Shan: ) is the largest city and the capital of northern

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 ...

, about north-east of

Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...

. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the

Yaw River Yaw River or Ywa River is a river of Burma, a tributary of the Irrawaddy. It flows into the Irrawaddy on the right (west) just above the town of Seikpyu,

Loi Leng Loi Leng is the highest mountain of the Shan Hills. It is located in Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), to the southeast of Lashio. Geography Loi Leng is part of a massif with multiple peaks located to the SW Pa-kawlam, 10 km to the north of ...

, the highest mountain of the

Shan Hills The Shan Hills (; ''Shan Yoma''), also known as Shan Highland, is a vast mountainous zone that extends through Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand. The whole region is made up of numerous peaks separated mostly by narrow valleys, as well as a few ...

, is located to the south-east of Lashio. Lashio is the administrative center of Lashio Township and

Lashio District Lashio District () is a Districts of Myanmar, district of northern Shan State in Myanmar with three townships. Its capital is the north Shan State capital of Lashio. Townships The district contains three Townships of Myanmar, township: *Lashio T ...

; before April 2010, it was also the administrative center of Shan State (North). The population grew from approximately 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It was estimated at approximately 131,000 in 2009. It was captured by rebel forces in early August 2024 before being retaken by the

State Administration Council The State Administration Council (; abbreviated SAC or နစက) is the military junta currently governing Myanmar, established by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, February 2021 c ...

in April following a major Earthquake which impacted much of Myanmar. The population is made up of mostly Shan,

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

and

Burmans The Bamar people (Burmese language, Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an esti ...

History

The

British colonial period The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

in this part of the country began in 1887, and the

Myanmar Railways Rail transport in Myanmar consists of a railway network with 960 stations. The network, generally spanning north to south with branch lines to the east and west, is the second largest in Southeast Asia, and includes the Yangon Circular Railway ...

line from

reached Lashio in 1903. Before British rule Lashio was also the centre of authority for the northern Shan States, but the Burmese post in the valley was close to the Nam Yao, in an old Chinese fortified camp. The Lashio valley was formerly very populous; but a rebellion, started by the

sawbwa 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 ...

of Hsenwi, about ten years before the British occupation, ruined it. In 1900, the town of Lashio consisted of the European station, with court house and quarters for the civil officers; the military

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

post, the headquarters of the Lashio

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

of military police; and the native station, in which the various nationalities, Shans, Burmans, Hindus and Muslims, who were divided into separate quarters, with reserves for government servants and for the temporary residences of the five sawbwas of the northern Shan States; and a

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

. Lashio became important during the Sino-Japanese War and

World War II 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 ...

as the Burmese terminus of the

Burma Road The Burma Road () was a road linking Burma (now known as Myanmar) with southwest China. Its terminals were Lashio, Burma, in the south and Kunming, China, the capital of Yunnan province in the north. It was built in 1937–1938 while Burm ...

. In World War II, Lashio was taken by the Japanese on April 29, 1942 and liberated by the Allies on March 7, 1945.

Myanmar civil war

During

Operation 1027 Operation 1027 ( my-name-MLCTS, MLCTS=1027 Cachcangre:, MY=၁၀၂၇ စစ်ဆင်ရေး, ) is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a military coalition composed of three ethnic armed organisati ...

of the

Myanmar Civil War Myanmar has been embroiled in armed conflict since 1948, when the country, then known as Burma, gained independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict has largely been ethnic-based, with ethnic armed organisations fighting Myanmar's arm ...

, the town was surrounded by the

Ta'ang National Liberation Army The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (; abbreviated TNLA) is a political organization and armed group in Myanmar. It is the armed wing of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF). History The PSLF has its origins in the Palaung National Front ...

and other rebel forces who took towns around Lashio, although fighting did not immediately take place in the town itself. Many people displaced from fighting elsewhere fled to Laisho for safety. After the ceasefire that ended the operation collapsed, the MNDAA and its allies launched a renewed attack to seize the town, culminating in the

Battle of Lashio The Battle of Lashio was an offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, along with other anti- junta resistance forces, to capture the northern Shan city of Lashio during the Myanmar civil war. Serving as the headquarters for the T ...

, where rebel forces were victorious. On 20 January 2025, the MNDAA and the junta agreed to a Chinese-brokered ceasefire, with several sources claiming that a withdraw of the former from Lashio was a condition for the deal. However, neither the junta nor the MNDAA has revealed any details of the deal. On 18 April 2025, SAC-appointed officials,

Myanmar Police Force The Myanmar Police Force (), formerly the People's Police Force (), is the law enforcement agency of Myanmar. It was established in 1964 as an independent department under the Ministry of Home Affairs. History The Police Force in Myanmar h ...

officers, and other civil servants began arriving into Lashio city itself as the MNDAA withdrew. The officials reinstated the SAC administration by 21 April.

Climate

Lashio has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cwa'') according to the

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 ...

system, though closely bordering the

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(''Aw''), marked by heavy rains from May to October. The annual rainfall averages . The average maximum temperature is and the average minimum . Temperatures are generally warm throughout the year, though nights are cool from December to March.

Landmarks

* Yan Tine Aung Pagoda * Chinese Temple * Natural Hot spring * Sarsana Hill * Mansu Shan Monastery * Lashio Night Bazaar * Hu Mon Dam * Linnoet (bat) cave * Ye Kan Thaung

Transport

Lashio is located at the end of the

Lashio Railway Station Lashio station () is a railway station located in Lashio, Shan State, Myanmar. This station was opened in 1903 as the terminus of the Mandalay–Lashio Railway. As of 2023, there are plans to extend the route to Muse near the Chinese border. On ...

is the

terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

of the

Mandalay–Lashio Railway Mandalay–Lashio Railway () also known as Northern Shan State Railway () is a gauge railway line in Myanmar's Shan State, operated by Myanma Railways. The line runs from Mandalay Central Railway Station to Lashio Railway Station in 11 hours, ...

. It is also the end point of the government

cart A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs. A handcart ...

road from Mandalay, from which it is distant. The scenic

Goteik viaduct The Goteik viaduct (, MLC Transcription System, MLCTS: ''gu.hti.ta.aa.'', also known as Gohteik viaduct or Gok Hteik viaduct) is a railway Trestle bridge, trestle over the Goteik Gorge of the Myitnge River in western Shan State, Myanmar (also know ...

is near Lashio and trains travelling from Mandalay pass over the bridge, which is the highest bridge in Myanmar. In 2009, a railway link through to

Jiegao Jiegao (; ) is a border trade zone in southern China near the border with 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 ...

in China was proposed. In 2011 the proposal was expanded to a link between

Kunming Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China. The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II, Kunming was a Ch ...

and

Kyaukphyu Kyaukphyu ( ; also spelt Kyaukpyu) is a major town in Rakhine State, in western Myanmar and it is informally addressed to be the second capital of Rakhine State.It is located on the north western corner of Yanbye Island on Combermere Bay, and is ...

. President Thein Sein's signed a memorandum of understanding during his May 2011 visit to

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

between Myanmar's rail transport ministry and China's state-owned Railway Engineering Corporation to build the railway. It is the home of

Lashio Airport Lashio Airport is an airport in Lashio, Myanmar. It is near the former headquarters of Northeast Military Command. On 30 July 2024 the airport was captured by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.Pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

" and the "Mansu Pagoda". Yepusan

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

is nearly five miles away from the city center, and is healthful in winter. Other than some ethnic minorities group, Lashio is also a town with a large Chinese population. The most famous

Chinese temple Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' mi� ...

in the area is "观音山灵峰寺" where many Chinese people visited during the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

(Spring Festival). Since 2000, Lashio has been important for

border trade Border trade, in general, refers to the flow of goods and services across the border between different jurisdictions. In this sense, border trade is a part of the normal trade that flows through the ordinary export/import legal and logistical fra ...

between Myanmar and China. . It is from Muse, and is situated midway between Muse and Mandalay.

Sai Mauk Kham Dr. Sai Mauk Kham (, ; born 17 August 1949) is a Burmese politician and physician who currently serves as a House of Representatives MP for Lashio Township constituency. He previously served as First Vice President of Myanmar from 1 July 2012 ...

, one of the Vice Presidents of Myanmar's democratic government from the 2010 general election, was elected from Lashio constituency.

Education

The town is home to the Lashio University, the Computer University (Lashio), the Technology University (Lashio), the Education College (Lashio) and the Lashio Nursing School.

Gallery

File:Lashio.JPG, Lashio skyline File:Chinese temple觀音寺.JPG,

Guanyin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

Temple (臘戌觀音寺) File:Lashio gate.JPG, Lashio Gate File:Nagayon.jpg, Nagayon Pagoda File:Sudownpyi.JPG, Sutaungpyay Pagoda File:Lashio sunglow.JPG, Sunset in Lashio File:Big pool.JPG, Lake in Lashio

References

External links

* Taipei American Chamber of Commerce; Topics Magazine, Analysis, November 2012.
Myanmar: Southeast Asia's Last Frontier for Investment
BY DAVID DUBYNE * Lashio, April 28, 1942 - Story of Wa
'Last Man in to Bat'
{{Authority control Populated places in Shan State Township capitals of Myanmar