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Trekking House
Kachin State in Brief
Location
:- Kachin State, located in the northern most part, is
one of the seven States of the Union of Myanmar. Lies
between China to the east and India to the west, and has a
land area of 34,379.22 square miles.
Geography :- Kachin State is part of the
eastern edge of the Himalayan Range and is also continuous with the
Yunnan escarpment, composing the Tibet-Myanmar frontier mountain
ranges. Hkakaborazi, the highest mountain in South East Asia at 19
315 feet, and Indawgyi, the largest lake in Myanmar with 98 square
miles, are all located in Kachin State.
Climate :- Generally divided into three
seasons: the hot summer, the rainy monsoon and the cold winter.
Climate conditions vary considerably from warm to humid in the
lowlands and extremely cold in the highlands. In winter, mountains
in the far north are snow capped. The rainy season starts in May in
the lowlands and April in the highlands. The winter starts in
December followed by a very short Summer.
People :- Kachin comprises of eleven
ethnic minorities, namely Jinghpaw, Lachik, Dalaung, Lauwaw, Guari,
Lisu, Rawang, Hkahku, Duleng, Atsi and Zaiwa. There are also other
nationalities such as Shans, Bamar, Kadu, Kanan, Chinese and Indians
living in the state.
Communication :- The 18 townships in the
states are linked by roads, railways, and airways. Most of the towns
in the state are accessible by telephone communication, locally and
internationally. The state’s major towns are linked with other
capital cities of Myanmar by road, railways, waterways, and airways.
The State is linked to India by Ledo Road, also known as the
Stilwell Road, built during World War II.
Cities and Towns :- Myitkyina, a major
city in the central area, is the state capital, while Bamaw is the
main town in the southwest, and Putao the main town in the far
north. Mogaung and Mohnyin are ancient cities inhabited mostly by
Shans. Myitkyina is well known as one of the places in Myanmar where
the allied forces of the west, led by General Merill’s Marauders,
landed and fought the enemy together with local rangers.
Resources :- Kachin State is rich in
forest products, minerals, and gem stones some of which are still
untouched. Phakant jade is one of the most famous products of the
state and is very popular in the world. Gold can be panned in almost
every river and stream of the state.
Agriculture :- Agriculture is the main
occupation with rice as the main crop. Kachin State is a place where
grapefruit and other rare citrus fruits are available. Pineapple,
star apple, “da-nyin” fruit and “hkatchyo’ rice is among the best
quality in the Myanmar market.
Festivals :- Kachin State celebrates
Kachin State day on the 10th of January, and the New Harvest
Festival in November. There are many locally celebrated festivals
among the people. One of the common festivals among the Kachin
people is the Manau.
Flora :- More the 50% of Kachin State is
generally covered by numerous types of forests with thousands of
different plant species. Rhododendron is indigenous to Putao region
and of the 600 known species of rhododendria, the English botanist
collected 118 here in some 1920s, and some 107 of those may be still
viewed at Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. Also the wild
orchids bloom in great profusion in this region. Botanists also
identified 19 species of pine with the expeditions. Over 800 kinds
of orchids, 97 varieties of bamboo and 32 different types of rattan
canes are also home to this region. The forests ranging from
tropical monsoon evergreen to
alpine forest can also be found in the northern
most part of the state. The rich variety of plants and animal life
in Kachin State reflects its geographical location as well as its
varied topography and climate.
Fauna :- As many as 134 avian species were
also recorded so far. Among them 15 rare species of Pheasant among
them being a few on the endangered list, the Lmpeyan Pheasant, the
Blood Pheasant. Blyth's Tragopan, Temminck's Tragopan, Sclater's
Monal, Snowy-throated Babble, Chestnut thrush, Red-tailed laughing
trush and Ruxty bellied Short wing etc to name a few in the rare
species list and some new identified species in Myanmar and
South-East Asia. The area is home to numerous wild animals –
including monkeys, deer, birds and butterflies – so it is no wonder
paradise for scientific researchers and butterfly hunters. There is
a safe habitat for wild elephants, tigers, takins, rare red pandas
and other endangered species. Migratory birds from China and
Mongolia, especially the Red Head Crane, travel in thousands to the
plateau of Putao in spring, and disperse in early monsoon.
Snow Capped Mountains :- In the foothills
of the Himalayas in northern Putao situate Mt. Hkakabo Razi, the
highest snow-capped mountain in South East Asia. 19,269 feet (5881
meter) high and a very important watershed area for the eastern
Ayeyarwady river (Nmai Hka). The flagship trek of the area lies more
than 440 kilometer away from nearest airstrip which takes nearly 6
weeks to complete. The route passes through the 1472-square-mile
Hkakaborazi National Park. Apart from this there are several smaller
peaks such as Mt. Lancrumadin of 3495 meters. Mt. Phongun Razi of
3485 meters, Mt. Phangran Razi of 4450 meters, Mt. Madwe Razi of
4500 meters and
Mt. Slimatdin of 4800 meters etc which can be scaled by trekker with
normal physical condition.
Ayeyarwady River :- The Mali Hka and the
Nmai Hka merge in Kachin State to become the Ayeyarwady, largely a
glacier-fed river, stretch over a thousand miles long and it is one
of the finest water ways in the world. This fertile valley flows
though the dry zone in the heart of Myanmar and acts as a conduit of
communication to over fifty million people.
Indawgyi lake :- The largest natural lake
in Myanmar, situated between East longitude 96˚ 23’-97˚ and North
Latitude 25˚ -26˚ in Kachin State, South-west of Myitkyina. The 16
miles long and 8 miles wide lake is rich in biodiversity with
different species of marine life and wetland birds.

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