Sagyin Explained

Official Name:Sagyin
Other Name:Sakyin
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map:Myanmar
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Myanmar
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Aungmyethazan District
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Madaya Township
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population:5,800
Population As Of:2014
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2:Theravada Buddhism
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Population Density Km2:auto
Coordinates:22.2944°N 96.0723°W
Timezone:MST
Utc Offset:+6.30
Population Blank1:Bamar
Settlement Type:Village

Sagyin (Burmese: စကျင်) is a village in Mandalay Region, Myanmar. The village's name is eponymous with the Burmese word for "marble." Sagyin is home to Myanmar's largest marble quarry, the Sagyin Hills.[1] Burmese white marble is prized for its hardness and texture.[2] The village is home to 5,800 villagers and 2,000 households, 80% of whom work in the local marble industry, including as marble artisans, sculptors and miners. During military rule, Chinese and military-linked companies were granted decades-long licences to mine marble in the village.[3]

Sagyin marble has been used at prominent Buddhist sites, including the Konbaung-era Kyauktawgyi Buddha Temple (Mandalay), Tripiṭaka tablets at Kuthodaw Pagoda, and Burmese Buddhist Temple (Singapore).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mann . Zarni . 2014-04-23 . A Cloud Hangs Over Marble-Crafting Village in Burma . 2023-03-31 . The Irrawaddy . en-US.
  2. News: 2020-07-16 . From statues to toothpaste, the Myanmar village 'blessed' with marble bounty . en . Reuters . 2023-03-31.
  3. Web site: 2020-08-20 . The Fight Over Myanmar's Marble Hills . 2023-03-31 . The ASEAN Post . en.