Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division 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 ...

. It lies between

Kayin State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the ...

to the east, 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 ...

to the west,

Bago Region Bago Region (, ; formerly Pegu Division and Bago Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to ...

to the north and

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 ...

to the south, also having a short border with

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

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 ...

at its south-eastern tip. The land area is . The

Dawna Range The Dawna Range (; ), also known as Dawna Hills, is a mountain range in eastern Myanmar (Burma) and northwestern Thailand. Its northern end is located in Kayah State where it meets the Daen Lao Range, a subrange of the Shan Hills. The range runs ...

, running along the eastern side of the state in a NNW–SSE direction, forms a natural border with Kayin State. Mon State includes some small islands, such as Kalegauk, Wa Kyun and Kyungyi Island, along its of coastline. The state's capital is

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 ...

History

Mon tradition holds that the

Suwarnabhumi (; Pali: ') is a toponym, that appears in many Outline of ancient India, ancient Indian literary sources and Buddhism, Buddhist texts such as the ''Mahavamsa'', some of the Jataka tales, the ''Milinda Panha'' and the ''Ramayana''. Though its ex ...

mentioned in the

Edicts of Ashoka The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from 268 BCE to 2 ...

and the ''Dîpavamsa'' was their first kingdom (pronounced Suvanna Bhoum), founded around the port of

Thaton Thaton (; ) is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85. It is southeast of Yangon and north of Mawlamyine. Thaton was the capit ...

in about 300 BC, however, this is disputed by scholars. Oral tradition suggests that they had contact with

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

via seafaring as early as the 3rd century BCE, though definitely by the 2nd century BCE when they received an envoy of monks from

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

. The Mon converted to

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

sometime before the sixth century, and they adopted the Indian

Pallava script The Pallava script, or Pallava Grantha, is a style of Grantha script named after the Pallava dynasty of Southern India (Tamilakam) and is attested to since the 4th century CE. In India, the Pallava script evolved from Tamil-Brahmi. The Gran ...

. Much of the Mon's written records have been destroyed through wars. The Mons blended Indian and Mon cultures in a hybrid of the civilisations. By 825 they had firmly established themselves in southern and southeastern Myanmar and founded the cities of

Bago Bago may refer to: Places Myanmar * Bago, Myanmar, a city and the capital of the Bago Region * Bago District, a district of the Bago Region * Bago Region, an administrative region * Bago River, a river * Bago Yoma or Pegu Range, a mountain ran ...

(Pegu) and

. By the mid-9th century, they had come to dominate all of southern Myanmar.

Mon kingdoms

The first recorded kingdom that can undisputedly be attributed to the Mon was

Dvaravati Dvaravati () was a medieval Mon political principality from the 6th century to the 11th century, located in the region now known as central Thailand, and was speculated to be a succeeding state of Lang-chia or Lang-ya-hsiu (). It was describe ...

, which prospered until around 1024 AD when their capital was ruled by the Khmer Empire. Most of the inhabitants fled west to present-day Myanmar and established new kingdoms. These, too, came under pressure from new ethnic groups arriving from the north, such as the Tai peoples. Despite these challenges, the Mon contributed significantly to the spread of Theravada Buddhism and left a lasting influence on the region’s cultural and religious development.

Advent of the British

Lower Burma Lower Myanmar (, also called Lower Burma) is a geographic region of Myanmar and includes the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta ( Ayeyarwady, Bago and Yangon Regions), as well as coastal regions of the country ( Rakhine and Mon States and Tanintharyi ...

, including what is now Mon State, was conquered by

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

in 1824 after the

First Anglo-Burmese War The First Anglo-Burmese War (; ; 5 March 1824 – 24 February 1826), also known as the First Burma War in English language accounts and First English Invasion War () in Burmese language accounts, was the first of three wars fought between the ...

. The Mon assisted the British in the war, in return for promises of their own leadership after the defeat of Burma. Hundreds of thousands of Mons who had migrated into

Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

returned to their homeland when it came under British rule. However, British promises to restore the Mon Kingdom were never fulfilled. During colonial times, Moulmein had a substantial

Anglo-Burmese The Anglo-Burmese people, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent; they emerged as a distinct community through mixed relationships (sometimes permanent, sometimes temporary) between the B ...

population; an area of the city was known as 'Little England' due to the large Anglo-Burmese community. Nowadays this community has dwindled to a handful of families as most have left for the UK or Australia.

Burmese independence

In 1947, the Mon sought

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

from the yet unformed

Union of Burma Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Unio ...

. Burmese Prime Minister

U Nu Nu (; ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as Burmese names#Honorifics, U Nu and also by the honorific name Thakin Nu, was a prominent Burmese people, Burmese statesman and the first Prime Minister of Union of Burma. He was ...

refused, saying that no separate national rights for the Mon should be contemplated. The Burmese army moved into areas claimed by the Mon nationalists and imposed rule by force which resulted in a civil war. Mon separatists formed the Mon Peoples Front, which was later superseded by the

New Mon State Party The New Mon State Party (NMSP) (; ) is an opposition party in Myanmar. Its armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), has fought the government of Myanmar since 1949, but under different names. The NMSP has attempted many times unsucc ...

(NMSP) in 1962. Since 1949, the eastern hills of the state (as well as portions of Thaninthaya Division) have been under control of the NMSP and its military arm, the Mon National Liberation Front (MNLF). In addition to fighting the central government, the MNLF has fought the

Karen people The Karen ( ), also known as the Kayin, are an ethnolinguistic group of peoples who speak Karenic languages and are indigenous to southern and southeastern Myanmar, including the Irrawaddy Delta, Irrawaddy delta and Kayin State. The Karen ac ...

over control of lucrative border crossings into

. In 1974, partially to assuage Mon

separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, regional, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seekin ...

demands, the theoretically autonomous Mon State was created out of portions of Thaninthayi Division and

Bago Division Bago Region (, ; formerly Pegu Division and Bago Division) is an administrative region of Myanmar, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to the north; Kayin State, Mon State a ...

. Resistance continued until 1995, when NMSP and

SLORC The State Peace and Development Council ( ; abbreviated SPDC or , ) was the official name of the military government of Burma (Myanmar) which, in 1997, succeeded the State Law and Order Restoration Council (; abbreviated SLORC or ) that ha ...

agreed a cease-fire. In 1996, the

Mon Unity League Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * ...

was founded. SLORC troops continued to operate in defiance of the agreement.

Government

Executive

Mon State Government

Legislative

Judiciary

Mon State High Court

Demographics

The population was 2,054,393 according to 2014 Census.

Ethnic makeup

The

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

make up a slight plurality of Mon State's population. However, there are significant

Bamar 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 ...

and Kayin minorities, and smaller communities, including the

Pa-O The Pa'O (; , , or ; ; Eastern Poe Karen: တံင်သူ; ; also spelt Pa-O or Paoh) are an ethnic minority living in Myanmar, with a population of roughly 1,200,000 accounting for approximately 2.1% of the total population in Myanmar. Oth ...

and

. Many are isolated and many do not understand or speak Burmese. There is a Thai community in

Kyaikkami Kyaikkhami ( Mon: ; ; pronounced ; , formerly Amherst) is a resort town within Thanbyuzayat township in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar. The town is situated on a peninsula about south of Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State. It is a pop ...

. After the 2014

Census in Myanmar The Burmese census is an official count of the human population in Burma (Myanmar). History The earliest census on record in Burmese history was taken in 1359 in the Pinya Kingdom. The first nationwide census was taken in 1638, and it was fol ...

, the Burmese government indefinitely withheld release of detailed ethnicity data, citing concerns around political and social concerns surrounding the issue of ethnicity in Myanmar. In 2022, researchers published an analysis of the

General Administration Department The General Administration Department (, abbreviated GAD) is a civil service body that staffs all regional and state-level governments in Myanmar and provides administration for the country's myriad districts and townships. It also plays a centra ...

's nationwide 2018-2019 township reports to tabulate the ethnic makeup of Mon State.

Religion

According to the 2014 Myanmar Census,

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

make up 92.6% of Mon State’s population, forming the largest religious community there. Minority religious communities include

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

(0.5%),

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

(5.8%), and

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

(1%) who collectively comprise the remainder of Mon State’s population. 0.1% of the population listed no religion, other religions, or were otherwise not enumerated. According to the

State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee The State Saṅgha Mahā Nāyaka Committee (, abbreviated Mahana or in Burmese, SSMNC in English) is a government-appointed body of high-ranking Buddhist monks that oversees and regulates the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) in Burma (Myanmar). That ...

’s 2016 statistics, 32,769 Buddhist monks were registered in Mon State, comprising 6.1% of Myanmar's total

Sangha Sangha or saṃgha () is a term meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community". In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used b ...

membership, which includes both novice

samanera A (Pali; ), is a novice male monk in a Buddhist context. A female novice nun is in , and in or . In Tibetan Buddhism, a female novice nun is known by the Tibetan language term , and a male novice monk is a . The majority of monks belong to the Thudhamma Nikaya (79.8%), followed by

Shwegyin Nikaya Shwegyin Nikāya (, ; also spelt Shwekyin Nikāya) is the second largest monastic order of monks in Burma. It is one of nine legally sanctioned monastic orders (Pali: ''gana, gaṇa'') in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organi ...

(14.9%), with the remainder of monks belonging to other small

monastic orders Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

. 3,550

thilashin A (, ,(, ), "possessor of morality", from Pali ''Śīla, sīla'') is a female Renunciation, renunciant in Buddhism in Myanmar, Burmese Buddhism; a Burmese Theravada Buddhist nun. They are not fully ordained nuns (''bhikkhuni''), as the full ordi ...

were registered in Mon State, comprising 5.9% of Myanmar’s total thilashin community.

Geography

Bordering Bago Division in the south of Sittaung River Mouth, Kayin State in the east, Thailand and Taninthayi Division in the south and Andaman Sea and Gulf of Mottama in the West, Mon state is situated between latitudes 14°52′ north and 17°32′ north and longitudes 96°51′ east and 98°13′ east.

Climate and weather

Mon State has a tropical climate. It has temperate weather as it is located in the low latitude zone and near the sea. The state has only slight changes in temperature. The average temperature of Mawlamyine in January is and in April is . Annual rainfall in Mawlamyine is and in Thaton is . Rain is especially heavy in July and August.

Economy

Mon State has a cultivated area of nearly , with most of the land dedicated to growing

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

. The primary secondary crop is

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 ...

. Orchards and rubber plantations are typically found in the mountainous regions, while coastal areas in the south, particularly in

Ye District Ye Township (; Mon: ပွိုၚ်ဍုၚ်ရေဝ်) is the only Townships of Myanmar, township of Ye District () in the Mon State, Myanmar. The Ye District was formed in April 2022 by splitting the singular Ye Township from the rest of ...

, support fishing and related industries such as the production of dried fish,

fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...

, and

agar-agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from " ogonori" and " tengusa". As found in nature, agar is a mixture of two components, t ...

. Production of

betel nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm ('' Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 1 ...

is also a traditional and ongoing livelihood in Mon State. Many Mon farmers have preserved their hereditary land rights in accordance with government regulations. However, there are still significant areas of uncultivated land, especially near the border with

Karen State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the state in a NNW–SSE direction, and ...

. In recent years, modern agricultural ventures have included the cultivation of

cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...

trees (known as *acajoú* in Portuguese), with the nuts being harvested for sale in other regions. Mawlamyaingbridge

Other industries in the state include the production of paper, sugar, and rubber tires.

is home to a major rubber products factory (in Burmese, Ka-Sa-La), operated by the Ministry of Industry (1). Forests cover approximately half of Mon State, making timber production a key economic contributor. Mineral resources extracted in the state include

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

antimony Antimony is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...

, and

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

. While natural resources such as timber and mineral deposits (both onshore and offshore) are abundant, they are largely exploited by senior military officials and foreign corporations. One of the largest sources of

foreign direct investment A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an ownership stake in a company, made by a foreign investor, company, or government from another country. More specifically, it describes a controlling ownership an asset in one country by an entity based i ...

(FDI) in Myanmar is the exploitation of

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

reserves in Mon State. The Yadana Gas Project, which includes a pipeline running through several towns in the state, has brought environmental and social concerns, particularly for the

Mon people The Mon (; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; , ; , ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Than ...

and their ancestral lands. Thom-Malay-Bridge

An applied agricultural research center is located in

Mudon Mudon (; ) is a town in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar, south of Mawlamyine. Mudon lies along the highway that links Mawlamyine to Thanbyuzayat, Kyaik-kami (Amherst) and Setse, Setse Beach. Etymology "Mudon" derives from the Mon language te ...

, a town near

. This center conducts laboratory-based research, particularly in rubber cultivation and fertilization of various plant species. The state's future prospects in

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

are promising, thanks to strong transportation links to

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 ...

. Travel options include train, bus, sea routes, and airlines. The recently opened Mawlamyine Bridge significantly improves travel times between southern Mon State (such as Ye) and northern cities like

and Yangon, making day trips feasible. The

Three Pagodas Pass Three Pagodas Pass ( Phlone ; , ''Paya Thon Zu Taung Za Lang'', ; , , ) is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), at an elevation of . The pass links the town of Sangkhla Buri in the north of Kanchanab ...

also serves as an alternative international route, connecting Mon State with

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 ...

in Thailand. According to the Mon State Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, the total

in Mon State from 1994 to 2016 exceeded US$5.433 billion.

Transport

* Ye Airport *

Mawlamyine Airport Mawlamyine Airport (formerly Moulmein Airport) is an airport in Mawlamyine (Moulmein), Myanmar . History Mawlamyine (Moulmein) Airport was initially established in 1941. During World War II, it was a Royal Air Force field. It was used not onl ...

Administrative divisions

Mon State's capitol is

; it is the fourth largest city in Myanmar. It was formerly known as Moulmein under the British colonial rule till the late 1980s. Administrative body is set under South Eastern Regional Command of

Myanmar Army The Myanmar Army (; ) is the largest branch of the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar, and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southea ...

in Mawlamyine and Mawyawaddy Navy Command controls coastline security. There are dispersed army infantry

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), ...

s at many towns in Mon state, and

has a Light Infantry Division (44th). Major districts are divided for example, Mawlamyine, Thaton, and Ye districts. At present, army infantries are densely placed in the former

neutral territory Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

of Ye district for future plans. Ye has become the major city for Southern Mon State with Sector Operation Command of Air Defense, and Military Operations Command 19 based headquarters. Mon State consists of two districts: Mon State Districts Map

Mawlamyine District Mawlamyine District () is a(Mon language :ခရီုမတ်မလီု) district of the Mon State in Myanmar (Burma). The capital is Mawlamyine town. The district covers an area of 6,084 km2, and had a population of 1,232,221 at the 201 ...

(မော်လမြိုင်ခရိုင်) *

Thaton District Thaton District (; ; Karen: Doo The Htoo; Pa-O: သထွုံႏခရဲင်ႏ; is a district of the Mon State in Myanmar. The capital is Thaton town. The district covers an area of 5,157 km2, and had a population of 822,172 at the 2014 ...

(သထုံခရိုင်)

Cities and towns and villages

Education

The following is a summary of the public school system in the state in the academic year 2002–2003. Almost all institutions of higher education in the state are located in Mawlamyine.

Mawlamyine University Mawlamyine University (also the University of Mawlamyine; ), located in Mawlamyine, is the largest university in Mon State, Myanmar. Being established in 1953, Mawlamyine University is the third oldest Arts and Science university in the country ...

is the main university and the largest university in the state.

Health care

The general state of health care in Myanmar is poor. Although health care is nominally free, in reality, patients have to pay for medicine and treatment, even in public clinics and hospitals. Public hospitals have limited number of basic facilities and equipment. The following is a summary of the public health system in the state, in the fiscal year 2002–2003.

Notable sites

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Kyaiktiyo Pagoda ( or ; ; also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Myanmar. It is a small pagoda () built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male worshippers. Acc ...

: A famous religious site with a steeple built on a rock covered with gold leaf, precariously balanced on the site of a cliff. *

Kyaikhtisaung Pagoda Kyai Khti Saung Pagoda () is a Buddhist pagoda in Bilin, Mon State, Myanmar. Geography Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda is located on a laterite stone hillock near the town of Bilin, Mon State, Bilin. The hillock itself is formed by the layering of later ...

: A famous pagoda said to hold a hair of the

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

. *

Kaylartha Pagoda Kaylartha Pagoda () is a Buddhist Burmese pagoda, Pagoda that sits atop the summit of Mount Kaylartha in Mon State, Myanmar. Local legend claims that at the foot of Kaylartha Mountain sat the ancient Suvarnabhumi, Kingdom of the Gold. Geograp ...

: A famous pagoda on Kaylartha Mountain where the Buddha is said to have landed. *

: Thaton was the capital of the Thaton Kingdom, which ruled present-day Lower Burma between the 9th and 11th centuries. *Mudon

Kangyi Pagoda Kangyi Pagoda () lies on the hill west of the vast lake east of Mudon. It was built to enshrine a Buddha's hair relic granted by Buddha as he and five hundred arahantas were going on sojourn this way on completion of eight vasas to a hermit named ...

: It lies on the hill west of the vast lake east of

. *Win Sein reclining Buddha: It is the world's largest reclining buddha at Mudon. * Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery &

Death Railway The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 b ...

Museum * Setse Beach & Kyaik-kami *

Kyaikmaraw Kyaikmaraw (; ) is a town in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar, southeast of Mawlamyine. Etymology "Kyaikmaraw" derives from the Mon language term "Kyaikparo" (; ), which means "prominent Buddha." History Inscriptions from 1455 in Kyaikm ...

Paya: A huge Buddha image built in AD 1455 by Queen Shin Saw Pu, the only female ruler in the history of Myanmar. *Belu-kyun (

Bilu island Bilu Island (; ; Bilu Kyun, lit. "ogre island") is a Deltaic island of the Salween (Thanlwin) River in Chaungzon Township, Mon State, located west of Mawlamyine. The island is roughly the size of Singapore Singapore, officially the Repu ...

): It is located opposite to

, and is famous for traditional handmade products. * Zinkyaik Pagoda: An ancient pagoda on top of Zinkyaik Mountain and former home of

Hermits Tissa and Thiha Tissa Kumaya and Thiha Kumaya were the sons of King Tissa Dama Gyaik and Queen Thi Yi Kappar Dawi, who ruled a kingdom at the base of Zinkyaik Mountain. They were two of six hermits whom Gautama Buddha gave his hair relics to upon his visit to ...

References

External links

*
Mawlamyaing culture

Monzel.be
(in Burmese) {{Authority control States of Myanmar 1974 establishments in Burma States and territories established in 1974 Andaman Sea