Myitkyina


Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar, located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and Myitkyina is on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just downstream from Myit-son of its two headstreams. It is the northernmost river port and railway terminus in Myanmar. The city is served by Myitkyina Airport.

History

The area surrounding Myitkyina, including what is now Waingmaw, has been an important trading zone between China and Myanmar since ancient times. The nearby town of Katkyo, from the Shan Kat Kio, is said to have been founded in 1294 on the left bank of the river. The region was then under the rule of Möng Kawng and other Shan states until the Konbaung dynasty, when it increasingly came under the control of Burmese and Kachin authorities.
According to tradition, Myitkyina had previously been a shallow lake. When the lake dried up, it was called "Saya Kung" by the local Shans, meaning "pleasant hill/mound," which was then rendered into Kachin as "Sara Gung." In 1894–1895, the British land Surveyor Commission assessed the site and named it Myitkyina.
American Baptist missionary George J. Geis and his wife arrived in Myitkyina in the late 1890s and in 1900 they requested permission to build a mansion in the town. Herman Tegenfeldt, a later Baptist missionary, built a church in his honor in the 1950s, naming it Geis Memorial Church. It is one of the Kachin Baptist Convention churches in Myitkyina.
Japanese forces captured the town and nearby airbase during World War II in 1942. In August 1944, Myitkyina was recaptured by the Allies of [World War II|Allied forces] under General Joseph Stilwell after a prolonged siege and heavy fighting between Nationalist Chinese divisions, the Chindits, and Merrill's Marauders of the Northern Combat Area Command and the besieged elements of the 33rd Imperial Japanese Army under General Masaki Honda. The town was strategically important not only because of its rail and water links to the rest of Burma, but also because it was on the planned route of the Ledo Road.

Climate

Myitkyina has a borderline tropical monsoon climate bordering upon both a tropical savanna climate and a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months from December to February are milder. There is a winter dry season from November to April and a summer wet season from May to October.

Air quality

The city residents dispose of the majority of their waste by burning it in small piles by the roadside. Most waste is disposed in this way, including plastics. Almost every block in the city has one small fire every evening. Burning usually starts late-afternoon, and by 6.00pm the city air is often quite smoky. Burning can start earlier at the weekend. The air quality in Myitkyina in the evenings can be poor, which can make being outside unpleasant. Sometimes, due to atmospheric pressure, the air will still be smoky in the morning. The only time of year that this does not happen is during the monsoon season, when it is reported that the air is fresh.

Population

As the capital of the state, it has government offices, and a greater population than other cities in the state. The city has a population of approximately 150,000, with a mix of Kachin, Shan, Bamar, Burmese Gorkha and some Chinese and Indians.
The Kachin language is the common language among the Kachin. Some people can speak English and Nepali while the town's people mostly speak in Burmese which is the national language of Myanmar.
Foreigners are now free to visit Myitkyina without prior government permission, although not advised due to a civil war ongoing currently as of February 2025.

Religion

Major religions are Theravada Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions such as animism and Islam.

Economy

Myitkyina is the business center of Kachin State, with many natural resources like jade, gold, amber and teak, as well as wood and agricultural products. As per government data, almost US$2 billion in jade were exported yearly in 2010 and 2011. Now, due to fighting between Kachin Independence Army rebels and the government, most businesses in the region have gone down.

Transportation

is the main airport serving the city. It connects the cities of Putao, Mandalay, Yangon and also Lashio on Mondays.
It takes almost 24 hours to travel between Mandalay and Myitkyina by train. Mandalay–Myitkyina Railway has been used for 100 years. This railway is a major means of transportation for both farmers and traders to deliver goods. It also connects Laiza, Bhamo, China, and Sumprabum by car and can go to Mandalay, Yangon, Lashio, and Magwe By Bus Station.
The Myitkyina-Tanai-India road, also known as the Ledo Road, was constructed by the British.

Education

The city is home to Myitkyina University, a Christian theological seminary, a college for teachers, a training school for nurses, a college for the study of computers and other rare type of colleges affiliated with several seminaries in the United States and Asia, notably Kachin Theological College and Seminary-Nawng Nang. It is also home to the branch I.L.B.C. a chain of private schools for English learners in the Myanmar. It has also many non-government institutions such as Naushawng development institute, Pinnya Tagar, Ningshawng and Kachinland School of Arts & Sciences, which has a University vision in 2024.
In addition, there are several high schools, including Basic Education High School No. 3 Myitkyina.

Healthcare

Public hospitals

  • Myitkyina General Hospital
  • Myitkyina Narcotic Hospital

    Military

  • Northern SOC
  • Nanpong / Nanpong Air Base headquarters