Mawlamyine & Thanlyin (Salween) River Port

Mawlamyine & Thanlyin at the Gulf of Martaban

During British and Portuguese times this was Moulmein, the Thanlwin (Salween) coming down from Tibet reaches the Andaman Sea here. 

This was a turbulent time during colonial times because of constant fighting between the local rulers and the colonial powers which sided with some against the other. They were coveted partners because they had modern weapons which the locals didn't have. 

Also during the WW2 fighting was going on here and at Thaton (a bit to the north). There is a big war memorial and cemetery there very similar to Kanchanaburi to the east in Thailand.

Some of the river vessels you see above have been the property of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company during the British colonial time. 

The Thanlyin (Salween)River 

The Thanlyin (Salween)River has almost 3000 km behind when emptying into the Gulf of Martaban coming all the way from China. 

In China known as the Nu Stream is known as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” since the raging water cuts deep into the hilly landscape creating spectacular views. 

The river hasn't been "raped" by the Chinese yet so bad as others such as the Mekong a remarkable biological diversity still exists. The UNESCO proclaimed the region a World Heritage Site in 2003. Two months later the Yunnan government announced to build a 13-dam cascade.


Myanmar and Thailand are also intending to build seven dams and a diversion project for the lower Thanlyin a couple of very destructive things will come in the next decades. 

Since 2004, ordinary people in China, Myanmar, and Thailand have voiced strong opposition to the construction.

Myanmar intends to build seven dams

Among them is the Hatgyi Dam, the resulting reservoir would flood two wildlife sanctuaries in Karen State. Another is the Tasang Barricade and the resulting lake would flood teak forests and the Weigyi Dam would inundate the Kayah-Karen Mountain Rain-forests, some National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and get rid with Khoe Kay, a bend of the Salween River with plenty of unique nature, all that would be gone forever. That means a few people are destroying important natural heritage which needed more than a million year to grow up just to be destroyed by some two leg monsters who have absolutely no sense of responsibility.  

The Chinese are well known for excessive poaching in the northern Myanmar area which means logging, killing everything with 4 legs (they eat even chairs, why? because they have four legs) Now can people sink lower?

The Train from Yangon to Mawlamyine

This is already South Myanmar 

The area is very close to Thailand they just built a new road from Mae Sot in Thailand  / Myawaddy to Yangon until a few years ago this area was infested with insurgents who cashed "road taxes" from everyone who went through such as buses trucks and cars.