Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hsu Taung Pye
Northern end of Zaw Jun and Aung San roads • Daily dawn-dusk • Free
Although
Hsu Taung Pye
(its name meaning “wish fulfilling”) is one of the main Buddhist
temples in Myitkyina and has an attractive golden pagoda on the riverbank, your attention is
more likely to be captured by the slinky 30m-long
reclining Buddha
opposite, and another
interesting arrangement of standing Buddhas nearby. A former Japanese soldier donated the
main Buddha statue in memory of 1280 of his countrymen who died in the 1944 Battle for
Myitkyina.
North of Myitkyina: The Ayeyarwady confluence
40km north of Myitkyina • Daily during daylight hours • Free; camera fee K1000, parking K300; boat trips
K7000 (per boat) for a short trip around the confluence, K30,000 to the Myitsone Dam and back • Motorbike
taxi from Myitkyina (90min each way) cost K15,000
North of Myitkyina a good road winds for 30km through a series of modern Kachin villages
tothesiteofthe
MyitsoneDam
.
Some11kmfurthernorth,alongaroughsingle-lanetrack,is
the
Ayeyarwadyconfluence
where the Mali Kha and N'mai Kha rivers meet to form Myan-
mar'smost important artery.Despite the site'sgeographical importance, it is a fairly low-key
spot, with simple restaurants set up on the silt beach overlooking the confluence, and boat
trips.
On top of the riverbank is a reproduction Kachin
longhouse
, and around the bend are the
ravaged remains of an artisanal
gold-panning
operation. When the dam project was con-
firmed, locals flocked here to extract all the precious metal they could before the area was
flooded. The minor gold rush has now subsided (although a few determined men remain),
leaving the bank pocked with deep holes.
