Overview

Mawlamyine, also known as Mawlamyaing, is a city in Myanmar, about 300 km south-east of Yangon and 70 km south of Thaton, at the mouth of the Thanlwin River (Salween). This is the capital as well as the largest city of the Mon State and is a major trading center and seaport in southeastern Myanmar.

The highlight of this city is KyaikThanLan Temple - a high pagoda that overlooks the Mawlamyine area. There are other places to worship the historical and cultural monuments of Mawlamyine, including St Patrick's Roman Catholic church, the abandoned Sunni Soorti Jamai mosques, St Matthew's Cathedral made of red brick. Some attractions in this area are the Kyauktalon Taung which has the largest Buddhist statue in the world located about 20km south of the town, the caves of Kawgoon and Payon, where there are stalactites bearing the image of the Buddha. In addition, Kyaikkami - a temple on the rock next to the sea is designed with a very romantic roof. The west of Mawlamyine is Bilu Island - a charming island with the beautiful mountain scenery. The town of Thanbyuzayat is about 60 km south of Mawlamyine. Here you can find the Allied War Memorial Cemetery - the resting place for prisoners died by the construction of the Burma Railway (also known as 'Death Railway'). Death Railway Museum is located 1.5 km away from the town, where there are images of the construction of the railway.