Page 350 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

348 NortherN MyaNMar Myitkyina and the far north
FESTIVALS IN MYITKYINA
on kachin national day (January 10) each year, Myitkyina hosts the Manau Festival, originally
a nat-propitiating ceremony and now an important expression of kachin unity. the town stops
for days of feasting and dancing, with the focus on Manau Park north of the town centre,
where the totem-like Manau poles are on display year-round. in early february, Myitkyina also
plays host to the Lisu New Year celebrations, when Lisu people from kachin State and
neighbouring regions of China gather together for a three-day party.

grown to be quite large, but the central area, concentrated between the railway station
and the river, is eminently walkable.
While travel restrictions limit day-trips outside the town, one straightforward
excursion is to head north along the Ayeyarwady to the confluence of the Mali Hka
and N’Mai Hka rivers – considered to be the source of the Ayeyarwady.

Brief history
Myitkyina was a small Kachin trading post when the British arrived in the 1890s and
established a military base. Roman Catholic and Baptist missionaries followed, one of
whom was the Swedish–American Ola Hanson (1864–1927), who translated the Bible
into Kachin. Originally animists, today most Kachin are Christian.
During World War II, the Kachin levies who fought alongside the Allies in
this region were renowned for their jungle survival skills and fighting spirit.
8 For much of the period since independence, that same spirit has been directed
at the Myanmar government, with the insurgency led by the Kachin Independence
Army (KIA) being one of the country’s fiercest and longest running. Although
a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, fighting broke out again, and the ceasefire
collapsed in 2011.
Today, Myitkyina itself is peaceful and safe, though you may see the KIA flag
(crossed machetes on a red and green background) decorating T-shirts and
motorbikes around town. Drug abuse is also quite prevalent in Myitkyina, as
opium production in Myanmar – the world’s second highest after Afghanistan – is
concentrated in Kachin and the northern Shan States. Some people suspect the
government turns a blind eye to the problem, hoping to undermine youthful
Kachin nationalism, but it may simply be that it lacks the necessary resources to
tackle it – and the rehabilitation efforts that do exist are mostly in the hands of
the church.

Kachin State Cultural Museum
• 1km north of the market, on the corner of Thakin Net Phay Rd and Yone Gyi Rd • Tues–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm;
closed on national holidays • K5000
The small Kachin State Cultural Museum is worth a visit to see its display of Kachin and
Shan costumes and the Latin scripts that European missionaries adapted to express the
complexities of Kachin pronunciation in the 1890s. The most interesting exhibits are
upstairs, however, where there’s a collection of Manau headdresses shaped like hornbills
and a wide selection of everyday items made out of bamboo and rattan.
Hsu Taung Pye
• Northern end of Zaw Jun and Aung San roads • Daily dawn–dusk • Free
Although Hsu Taung Pye (its name meaning “wish fulfilling”) is one of the main
Buddhist temples in Myitkyina, with its golden pagoda right on the riverbank, your
attention is more likely to be captured by the 30m-long reclining Buddha opposite
(look at the designs on the soles of his feet). A former Japanese soldier donated the
main Buddha statue in memory of 1280 of his countrymen, who died in the 1944
Battle for Myitkyina.

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