Nyaungshwe Township (Burmese: ညောင်ရွှေမြို့နယ်; MLCTS: nyaunghrwe-mrui.nai; Burmese pronunciation: [ɲàʊɰ̃ʃwèmjo̰nɛ̀]) is a township of Taunggyi District in Shan State, Myanmar. It is located south of Sakangyi and south-west of Taunggyi. The principal town is Nyaungshwe.

Nyaungshwe Township
Shan: ဝဵင်းၼၢင်းသူၺ်ႇ
ညောင်ရွှေမြို့နယ်
Nyaungshwe Township is located in Myanmar
Nyaungshwe Township
Nyaungshwe Township
Coordinates: 20°39′N 96°56′E / 20.650°N 96.933°E / 20.650; 96.933
Country Myanmar
State Shan State
DistrictTaunggyi District
CapitalNyaungshwe
Area
 • Total
561.4 sq mi (1,454.0 km2)
Population
 (2014)
189,407
Time zoneUTC+6:30 (MST)

Inle Lake, a popular tourist destination and an inland freshwater lake, is located south of Nyaungshwe town. Part of Inlay Lake Wetland Sanctuary lies in Nyaungshwe, Pinlaung and Pekon Township.[1]

History

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Nyaungshwe was formerly the capital of Yawnghwe, one of many Shan principalities in pre-colonial and colonial Burma (collectively called the Shan States). Nyaungshwe is a Burmese language approximation of the Shan name, Yawnghwe (Shan: ယွင်ႈႁူၺ်ႈ).[2]

Nyaungshwe town

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the entrance of Nyaungshwe

The town of Nyaungshwe comprises 8 wards, namely Kantha, Thasi, Nandawun, Myole, Win, Nangpang, Mingala, and Maineli.[3]

Nyaungshwe is the tourist hub for visiting Inle Lake and Inlay Lake Wetland Sanctuary. It consists of one main thoroughfare with numerous side streets and a few parallel roads. The main street has numerous shops, several restaurants, a few stupas, travel agencies and a market (located behind the storefronts). Near the end of this road, a bridge crosses the river channel near an impressive mirror-tiled stupa.

The town serves as a marina for the numerous long boats carrying tourists into the lake. The lake itself is located a few kilometers south through a river channel. Nyaungshwe can be reached by bus, car, or by plane via the airport in Heho, located about a one-hour drive away. Nearby in Shwenyaung there is a train station with services to the mainline at Thazi, where connections to Yangon and Mandalay exist.[4]

Demographics

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2014

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Historical Population
YearPop.±%
1973—    
1983—    
2014189,407—    
Source: Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population data

The 2014 Myanmar Census reported that Nyaungshwe Township had a population of 189,407.[3] The population density was 130.3 people per km2.[3] The census reported that the median age was 26.7 years, and 100 males per 100 females.[3] There were 42,634 households; the mean household size was 4.2.[3]

Attractions

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Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery

Nyaungshwe Township is home to Inle Lake and Inlay Lake Wetland Sanctuary, including the village of Ywama, which is home to a floating market. In addition, Nyaungshwe Township has several cultural attractions, including:

References

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  1. ^ "Inlay Lake (wetland) Sanctuary". Explore Myanmar. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ^ Sao Tern Moeng (1995). Shan-English Dictionary. Dunwoody Press. ISBN 9780931745928.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Nyaungshwe Township Report" (PDF). 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census. October 2017.
  4. ^ "Train travel in Myanmar (Burma) | Train times, fares, tickets, photos".
  5. ^ "Shwe Yaunghwe Kyaung". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  6. ^ "Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery". myanmars.net. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  7. ^ "Rough Guides - Nyaungshwe". Rough Guides. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  8. ^ Harvey, G. E. (2019-06-04). History of Burma: From the Earliest Times to 10 March 1824 The Beginning of the English Conquest. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-64805-2.
  9. ^ "Cultural Museum | Nyaungshwe, Myanmar (Burma) Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
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