Pathein City Travel Package Tours, Myanmar Tour Information Hotel Guide

PATHEIN OVERVIEW

Pathein, formerly known as Bassein, is a city and the capital of Ayeyarwady Division, Myanmar. This town is lying at the western edge of the Ayeyarwady River delta, on the Pathein (Ngawan) River 190 km west of Yangon. In the colonial days the British called Pathein Bassein. It lies on the Gnawun river bank and is 75 miles away from the sea. The distance between Pathein (Bassein) and Yangon is 191 miles (by rail). The precise location of it is 16.45 N and 94.48 E. Regarding this Bassein of the bygone era Hobson-Jobson noted. Centuries ago Pathein was known as Cosmin. Ralph Fitch, the first recorded British traveller who visited Myanmar between 1586 and 1588 called it Cosmin. Some authorities argued that this word Cosmin was a corruption of two Mon words kaw and thamein. The word kaw signifies an island and thamein a prince. Pieced together it becomes prince island and the Myanmar call it minthakyun. To quote Hobson-Jobson again Cosmin is given by many travellers in the 16th and 17th centuries to a port on the western side of the Ayeyarwaddy delta which must have been near Bassein if not identical with it. In the mid-sixteenth century Bassein, like Dagon (later Yangon) was an insignificant port. These two ports could not measure up to Thanlyin (Cirion or Syriam), Dalla, Mottama (Martaban) and Bago (Pegu) which were noteworthy ports in those days. At that time Bassein was just a minor port and hardly conducted any important overseas trade transactions. The origin of the Indian town of Bassein has much to do with the growth of Portuguese imperialism. The starting point was 1498, the year Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to the east. From then on Portuguese ships began to enter the Pacific Ocean through the Straits of Malacca. Within a short time Portugal became an imperial power. This was the beginning of the encounter between Europe and Asia. Pathein is actually the capital of the deltaic region. This port of call is reached by road, or by double deckers through the complex Ayeyarwady river deltaic region. The landscapes are all full of rice producers with crops such as sesames, groundnuts, jute, maize, pulses, tobacco, chilies, etc. Parasol production is synonymous with Pathein. This town is still an important port of call for ferryboats carrying passengers or cargo plying between Yangon and the northern and eastern parts of the Myanmar. So it has a rather busy harbor area, which is fronted by a crescent of shop houses and go-downs. Rice from the delta region continues to be exported through the port of Pathein. Some 300,000 people live in Pathein, which was established in 1852 as a garrison town by the British. Although the majority are ethnic Bamars (formerly Burmans) and mainly Buddhist, there is a significant number of Kayin (formerly Karen) who are either Catholics or members of the Karen Baptist Church. These are mainly lowland farming Karen who were encouraged by the British to move form Karen state in eastern Myanmar to help settle the delta region, which was in need of rice farmers. The town of Pathein is known for its lively, hand-painted umbrellas; the city itself seems to take on new life during the Vesahka festival held during the full moon of Kason, during April and May. This town is also a gateway to the popular beaches of Myanmar, Chaung Thar Beach and Ngwe Saung Beach. The drive time from Pathein is only about 3 hours drive through the mountains and to the beautiful beaches.