Cities
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- 1 Myitkyina – The capital of the Kachin State.
- 2 Sagaing
– The capital of the Sagaing Region. - 3 Bhamo
- 4 Indawgyi – A lake and nature reserve.
- 5 Kalay – Township near Tamu (for India).
- 6 Katha
- 7 Laiza – Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) headquarters, bordering China
- 8 Laja Yang — an important village on the way to the Kachin state capital, Myitkyina via Bhamo Hwy, about 20 km from Laiza.
- 9 Mai Ja Yang – A rebel-run casino-laden border boom town. Although it seems that the casino has been converted to a university now.
- 10 Monywa – A town famous for its two huge statues of Buddha and a golden pagoda.
- 11 Putao
- 12 Tamu – The border town and gateway to India's Manipur state.
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Indawgyi Lake. Seasonal lake and weekend area known for bird watching.
Understand
[edit]Kachin State has been de facto independent from central government's control since 1962, when the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) unilaterally seceded from the Union of Myanmar. A peace deal struck in 1994 after a government army offensive made the arrangement more or less permanent, with the KIO-controlled area formalized as Kachin State Special Region #1, although KIO promptly split up into squabbling factions and the internal situation remains precarious at best.
Unlike much of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, the Kachin people are predominantly Christian.
Talk
[edit]In Special Region #1, Mandarin will get you a lot further than Burmese (or English).
Get in
[edit]Getting in depends on where you're going. For access to government-controlled areas like the capital Myitkyina, there are direct flights from Yangon, although the adventurous may also opt to travel by train from Mandalay (24-30 hours). For the rebel-controlled north, you'll either have to battle your way through massive bureaucracy to secure permits, or take the easier way by entering via China.
Get around
[edit]Myitsone (Mali Zup), a confluence of the Mali and Nmai Rivers, a naturally splendid hangout.
See
[edit]
- 1 Pyu Ancient Cities (Pyu city-states). A world heritage site made up of several ruins around Northern Myanmar, some of them older than 2,000 years.