Putao, Myanmar

History

Hkamti Long

Main article: Hkamti Long

Hkamti Long (also known as Khamti Long) is the former name of one of the outlying Shan States. It was a princely state around the city of Putao settled by the Khamti Shan people. The name means "Great Place of Gold" in the Khamti Shan language. Nowadays, there are Rawang and Lisu people, who are already regarded as Kachin nationalities. The seven-day-trek to West-Putao's mountain region, in which explorers found that there are Taron people ethnic whose height are lower than four feet. The population of this ethnic minority is so few nowadays that they are facing the threat of being extinct. The area covered by Hkamti Long may have included parts of what is now Kachin State (where Putao is located) as well as that of Shan State.

World War II

A British military output, Fort Hertz, was established in 1914 near the town of Putao. Due to its remoteness, it was never captured by the Japanese military during the Burma Campaign, remaining in Allied hands throughout World War II. Although later disbanded, the remains of the fort are still visible.

Geography

Putao is roughly 1,000 feet above sea level. Although surrounded by mountains, Putao itself is located on a plain.

Climate

The climate of Putao is a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) with a very high amount of precipitation throughout the monsoon season. The average temperature in January is 13.1 °C, while August is the hottest month with an average of 26.6 °C. | Jan record high C = 26.5 | Feb record high C = 29.5 | Mar record high C = 34.5 | Apr record high C = 38.5 | May record high C = 37.0 | Jun record high C = 37.5 | Jul record high C = 38.0 | Aug record high C = 36.5 | Sep record high C = 35.0 | Oct record high C = 35.5 | Nov record high C = 30.5 | Dec record high C = 26.5 |year record high C = 38.5

| Jan record low C = 1.5 | Feb record low C = 2.0 | Mar record low C = 6.0 | Apr record low C = 10.5 | May record low C = 13.5 | Jun record low C = 18.0 | Jul record low C = 16.3 | Aug record low C = 17.5 | Sep record low C = 18.3 | Oct record low C = 11.6 | Nov record low C = 5.0 | Dec record low C = 1.5 |year record low C = | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210717013353/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Myanmar/XLS/48001_Putao.xlsx | archive-date = 17 July 2021 | access-date = 2 August 2023}}

Transportation

Putao is a transportation hub for far-northern Myanmar, and commercial flights arrive seasonally at the town's airport.

Tourist attractions

In addition to the mountains, the main attractions in the Putao area include rare orchids and herbs, Burmese Cordyceps (ရှီးပတီး), and Kaungmhulon, a Buddhist pagoda.

References

References

1. "Putao".
2. KURABE, Keita. (2021-09-27). "Oronyms in northern Burma: Asymmetry between highland and lowland place names". Studies in Geolinguistics.
3. [http://www.shanland.org/resources/history/shan_settlements_in_myanmar.htm Shan history] {{webarchive. link. (2007-09-28)
4. [http://www.burmalibrary.org/reg.burma/archives/199801/msg00077.html Burma Library]
5. {{cite EB1911
6. (23 January 2015). "In Far-Flung Myanmar, a Land of Contradictions". New York Times.