Bhamo Explained

Bhamo should not be confused with Banmauk.

Native Name:
Official Name:Bhamo
Other Name:Hsinkai[1]
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map:Burma
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Burma
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Division
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Bhamo District
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Bhamo Township
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population As Of:2005
Population Blank1:Shan, Kachin, Chinese, Bamar
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2:Theravada Buddhism
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Total:47,920[2]
Coordinates:24.2667°N 97.2333°W
Timezone:MST
Utc Offset:+6.30
Blank Name Sec1:Climate
Blank Info Sec1:Cwa

Bhamo (Burmese: မန်မော်မြို့ ban: mau mrui., also spelt Banmaw; Shan: မၢၼ်ႈမူဝ်ႇ; ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥛᥨᥝᥱ; Chinese: 新街, Hsinkai) is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, 186km (116miles) south of the state capital, (Myitkyina). It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65km (40miles) of the border with Yunnan Province, China.[3] The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in the hills around the town. It is the administrative center of Bhamo District and Bhamo Township.

Etymology

"Bhamo" derives from the Shan language term "Manmaw" (Shan: မၢၼ်ႈမေႃႇး, pronounced as //maan˧ mɔ˧//; ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥛᥨᥝᥱ), which means "potter's village."[4]

History

From 1869 to 1879, it was the seat of British colonial Assistant political agent, subordinate to the Resident with the king of and in Ava. In the early 20th century, due to its location at the highest navigable point of the river, it formed a part of caravan routes bringing jade from India to China.[5]

Bhamo was once called Sampanago, the capital of the now-extinct Shan predecessor kingdom of Wanmaw. The ruins of the old city walls, dating from the fifth century, are found some from the modern town.

Contemporary

A once weekly Myanma Airways flight is available, as are three times a week river ferries. Bhamo is the terminus of river ferries from Mandalay. There is no river ferry between Bhamo and the state capital Myitkyina. The land route between Bhamo and Mu Se District (Muse, part of northern Shan State) is in poor condition.

Bhamo is one of the official border trading towns between China and Myanmar.

Education

The town is home to Bhamo University. One can also study engineering at Technological University (Bamaw), and computer and networking at Computer University (Bamaw).

Climate

Bhamo has a climate that lies in the transition between tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) and humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months (December–February) are milder. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October).

See also

Sources

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. http://www.pcgn.org.uk "An Introduction to the Toponymy of Burma"
  2. Web site: Population of Bhamo, Myanmar . 2015-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150620211701/http://population.mongabay.com/population/myanmar/1328218/bhamo . 20 June 2015 .
  3. https://www.britannica.com/place/Bhamo "Bhamo", Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. Tun. Than. 1988. Observations on the Translation and Annotation of the Royal Orders of Burma. Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 4. 1. 91–99. 40860260.
  5. Book: The Modern world encyclopaedia : illustrated . Home Entertainment Library . 1935 . 1091880941 .