Mon State: Pagodas, Island Stories and Coastal Landscapes

Mon State is home to religious sites, coastal towns and islands with very different stories. The region’s destinations range from Buddhist structures and historic memorials to beaches and local storytelling traditions.

Pagodas and Religious Traditions

Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda houses Tripitaka manuscripts and golden Buddha images. According to religious tradition, Shwe Sar Yan Pagoda is said to hold eight hairs of Kakusana Buddha and four tooth relics of Gautama Buddha. Kyaik Ma Yaw Pagoda was built in 1455 by Queen Shin Saw Pu and houses a Buddha with a calm, white face. These pagodas offer different ways to encounter religious heritage: manuscripts and images, a tradition concerning relics, and a dated building history featuring a specific Buddha image.

The design of certain shrines is also noteworthy: Kyaik Ka Mi Yele Pagoda is a Buddhist shrine complex with a metal roof, situated over the sea. In Mawlamyine, Kyaikthanlan Paya is said to have inspired the opening line of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Mandalay.” These sites highlight striking architecture by the sea and a literary connection whose inspiration is reported as a possibility.

History and Remembrance

Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery contains the graves of 3,771 prisoners of war who died during the construction of the railway. In Mawlamyine, a monument at the terminus of the Death Railway commemorates the railway with a section of track and an original locomotive; the locomotive was donated by Japanese authorities. Both sites connect the railway with specific places of remembrance, but with different emphases: a cemetery and a monument featuring historical objects.

Several brightly colored mosques stand near the banks of the Thanlwin in Mawlamyine. They were built decades ago for Indians who came to the region to work during British rule. Alongside its railway history, the city thus offers a glimpse of labor migration during that period of British rule.

Coast, Islands and Local Stories

Setse Beach lies 24 kilometers south of Kyak Ka Mi. The wide beach has brown sand and is lined with casuarina trees. Gaungsay Kyun lies northwest of Mawlamyine and is considered a picnic spot for visitors. The two destinations offer different coastal experiences: sand and a tree-lined shore define Setse, while Gaungsay Kyun is described as a picnic spot.

On Bilu Island, also locally known as Ogre Island, visitors can hear stories about ogres from local residents. The island is therefore also characterized by its storytelling tradition. Gaungse Kyun, also called Shampoo Island, is associated with a different story: according to tradition, spring water from the island was used once a year for a royal hair-washing ceremony during the Ava period; the name is linked to this practice. Gaungse Kyun is also home to a Buddhist meditation center and Sandawshin Pagoda.

Seasonal Destinations and Festival Dates

Sinywa Waterfall is in Sinywa village in Mon State; it flows only during the rainy season. A report from June 2024 recounts that local residents usually bathe and swim there. The waterfall’s seasonal flow and its reported use are therefore set in different time frames: the waterfall flows seasonally, while the account of bathing activities is dated June 2024.

In the coastal areas of Mon State, Sandy Pagoda festivals are usually held from the 3rd to the 5th waxing day of the month of Thadingyut. The exact dates vary according to the Myanmar calendar, so check the festival date before your trip. A particular traditional Mon festival was held on October 19, 2023, on the grounds of Kyaikkhami Pagoda in Thanbyuzayat. It included an offering ceremony for the Sandy Pagoda.

Discover more destinations: Thaton District, Mawlamyaing, Ye, Kachin State, Ayeyarwady, Shan State, Naypyitaw Union Territory, Mandalay Region.

Return to the main travel overview: Myanmar.