Aungban

Aungpan Template:My
Aungpan Location of Aungpan, Myanmar Aungpan Aungpan (Asia)
Coordinates: 20°40′0″N 96°38′0″E
Country	Myanmar
State	Shan State
Districts	Taunggyi District
Township	Kalaw Township
Founded	1913
Area
• Total	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)
Elevation	4,219 ft (1,286 m)
Population  (September 2018)
• Total	30,389
• Ethnic groups	List of ethnicities Bamar (49.23%) Danu (22.66%) Pa-O (13.44%) Taungyo(5.89%) Shan (1.25%) Intha (1.13%) Kayin (0.22%) Mon (0.17%) Rakhine (0.14%) Chin (0.11%) Kayah (0.04)% Dawei (0.04%) Kachin (0.03%) Burmese Chinese Burmese Indians Gurkha
• Religions	List of religons Theravada Buddhism (96.2%) Islam (2.53%) Christianity (1.12%) Hinduism (0.15%)
Time zone	UTC+6.30 (MST)
Postal code	06022
Area code	081
Vehicle registration	SHN
Climate	Humid subtropical (Cwa)

Aungpan (Template:Lang-my) is a town located in the Southern Shan State. It is located in Kalaw Township which is part of Taunggyi District. It lies on the Thazi-Kyaingtong road at an elevation of 4219 feet (1286 meters) above sea level.

As of September 2018, its population was recorded 30,313. It is a junction town in the midst of agricultural villages and thus the majority of agricultural products (mainly potato, garlic, ginger, cabbage, tomato, cauliflower, avocado, orange, tea-leaves) from nearby towns and villages are all collected thereby traders and distributed to other parts of the country, especially to Yangon, Mandalay, Kayin and Mon.

Overview

As a trade hub in the region, more than half a dozen banks are being operated. Being a logistically important place, most of the biggest companies in Myanmar´s agricultural value chain set up branch offices there, creating many employment opportunities for local people. Job opportunities vary from porters and lorry-drivers to mid-level management officers.

The town also plays a strategic role in military works that it has become an army base. The Seven-hundred bedded military hospital started its operation in the 2000s, providing healthcare service not only to military personnel but also to the wider public.

Pin-hmi golf range which is located near the southern exit of the town is getting popular among local golfers and always crowded on weekends. Special tournaments are often held by the club, which is commonly sponsored by KBZ Bank.

Despite earning many municipal taxes from local businesses and people, township administrative parties were focusing mainly on Kalaw that the town grew double in size without proper city planning. There are no public amenities for the population and the private business sector starts to take chance by developing swimming pools, playground, football pitches, etc. around the town. There is a small lake, named Mingalar Lake in Bahtoo Park. Once it was a collection of drain water discharged from living quarters. Renovation and restoration work for the park and the lake was carried out by the chairman of KBZ Bank and now it becomes a recreational place for the locals.

Transportation

Transport-wise, the town is important as a junction town, lying slightly east to Heho at about 14 miles (23 kilometers), where roads branch off south to Loikaw, Kayah State, north to the famous temples of Pindaya at about 25 miles (40 kilometers) and west to Kalaw at 6 miles (10 kilometers).

Air

The single-line railway line was extended from Aungpan to Shwenyaung, in the 1920s and Heho, a small village of Danu people grew into a town. Later an airport was built, 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the town. The airport served as an airbase both for the Allies and the Japanese during World War II and it was heavily bombed by the Allies. Evidence of aircraft bunker revetments and bomb craters can still be seen on the southern end of the airfield, especially noticeable from the air. Myanmar National Airlines and Air KBZ offer direct flights from Yangon to Heho daily; starting price from MMK 66,000 with estimated travel time 1h 10m.

Railway

The Aungpan-Loikaw railroad was constructed in 1992. The Working People's Daily newspaper reported in 1992 that over 300,000 people had contributed 'voluntary labor' for the Aungpan-Loikaw railway line connecting Shan and Kayah states. By the end of the project a year later, the total number had risen to almost 800,000. Many independent and credible testimonies indicated that this labor was forced, not 'voluntary'.

Road

File:Demolishing of Old Monument ( March 2019).jpg

Demolishing of Colonel Ba Htoo Memorial Monument (March, 2019)

The motorway passing through Aungpan is upgraded to four-lane recently. Consequently, buildings fall under the Union Highway zone were removed.

Colonel Ba Htoo's Memorial Monument was also decided to demolish on 28th March 2019 after consulting with the committee consisting of the state government officials, lawmakers, party representatives, and community elders from the town. The committee also decided to construct a new monument near the original place.

Colonel Ba Htoo (12.7.1916-2.6.1945) was a senior member of the Burma Independence Army. He was best known for his lead role in the battle against the Japanese forces in Upper Myanmar while Geneal Aung San commanded the resistance in Lower Myanmar. As Major Ba Htoo and his company chased away the Japanese troops from Mandalay into southern Shan State, he contracted a severe case of malaria. He passed away from malaria in Te Lu village (Burmese: တဲ့လုကျေးရွာ) of Ywangan Township, Shan State on June 2nd, 1945 at the age of just twenty-nine years old. He never had a chance to see the letter informing him that Geneal Aung San had promoted him to colonel, nor to say goodbye to his wife and three children, from whom he had been parted since he joined the army in 1942.

File:Demolishing the Monument (March 2019).jpg

The town's Committee finding the urn inside the Monument (March 2019)

In addition to the monument, some residential homes, banks, and other buildings have also been removed in order to widen the Union Highway. According to the reliable sources, the column demolished had been built over the original monument, which was constructed before Independence Day in 1948. Controversial and criticisms arose around the country for complete demolishment without considering for relocation. The committee agreed that the urn holding the colonel’s ashes would be retrieved and placed inside the new monument. Nonetheless, the urn had not been located upon further digging inside the monument, indicating that the real urn of Colonel Ba Htoo is inside the monument located in Te Lu village (Burmese: တဲ့လုကျေးရွာ) of Ywangan Township, Shan State.

The construction of the Monument was completed and to be opened on March 27th, 2020. However, the opening ceremony was canceled due to the 2019 coronavirus outbreak, which was reported in the country on March 23rd, 2020 by the Ministry of Health and Sports.

The town's 100-years-anniversary clock-tower at the Pindaya junction was removed as well. Motorway upgrade was completed in April 2020 and now the town gets a newer look.

Economy

The town is vital in Myanmar's food value chain as it fulfills the majority of vegetables and agricultural commodities needed daily by Yangon and other populated cities. For instance, a study states that the town holds 80% of ginger production and market share in the country.

The town's economy can be briefly classified into agrarian and non-agrarian. Farmers, village collectors, traders, BSCs (broker sale center), daily wage earners for quality sorting and cleaning products, porters, agricultural input-product dealers, etc play at the frontline of the former economy. The requirement for cargo shipment let logistics business to evolve largely and a multitude of cargo trucks are mostly operated by the townsmen, followed by several vehicle maintenance workshops, fuel stations, car spare part dealers, etc.

The development of the agrarian economy in the town has always been driven by the individual's incentive and market-led forces and it has hardly been well-planned and directed by the government. If it could be managed well, there are opportunities for the town's economy to rise above average. For example, developing contract-farming firms, mechanizing agriculture to boost production, agri-exchange centers for greater benefits of farmers, cold storage facilities to extend shelf-life of products, processing factories for export, value-added industries, etc.

The non-agrarian sector involves entertainment businesses, food, and basic supplies to the town's residences, which is doubled by army base stations around the town, boarding schools, and the military hospital. Private hospitals and supermarkets (aiming to Kalaw as well) are likely to be developed soon, as the town's geological advantage and spending power of the community are attractive to investors. Recent Town Committee's permit to set Aungpan's Pindaya exit road as an entertainment zone let KTVs mushroom along the road, forming as an only red-light district in the region.

Tourism

A recent boom in the tourism industry of Kalaw as a popular hiking spot and hill station has brought some impact to Aungpan as well. There are more than five hotels offering hundreds of rooms to visitors.

The town has an interesting five-day market, where farmers from around the area would come to Aungpan on market day and sell fresh produce in the open market. The huge and highly popular street market circulates on a five-day rota system between the neighboring towns of Kalaw, Pindaya, Heho, Nyaung Shwe and Aungpan. Aungpan is the largest and bustling commercial trading town. Mostly Pa-O and Palaung, flock into the town from surrounding villages along with local Shan farmers. It’s a very colorful and vibrant scene.

Agriculture

Although the town's main economy is commercial trading, there are many farms and gardens in and outside of the town. Farmers and gardeners are mostly Danu and Pa-O ethnic origins. The main agricultural products are potatoes, cauliflower, avocadoes, oranges, tea leaves, tomatoes, beans, damsons, and seasonal fruits.

List of Banks being operated

Name	Address	Phone
CB Bank	No. (4/480), Pyi Htaung Su Road, Nyaung Pin Htaung Ward, Aungpan	081-61275
AYA Bank	No (73/135), Pindaya Road, No (3) Ward, Aungpan	081-61255
Yoma Bank	No (18/368), Pyitaungsu Road, No (4) Ward, Aungpan	081-60482, 60483, 60490, 60491, 50492
UAB Bank	No. (43),Pyi Htaung Su Road, No (4) Ward, Aungpan	081-61303
KBZ Bank	No. (47), Pyi Htaung Su Road, No (4) Ward, Aungpan	081-60708, 61055, 61057
Global Treasure Bank	No. (8), Ba Htoo Street, No (4) Ward, Aungpan	081- 61058, 61059, 61281
Myawaddy Bank	No. (26) Pyi Htaung Su Road, Moe Kaung Ward, Aungpan	081-61311
AGD Bank	No. (24), U Thant Street, No (1) Ward, Aungpan	-
MAB Bank	No. (26), Pyi Htaung Su Road, Moe Kaung Ward, Aungpan	081-61278, 61279
First Private Bank	No. 187, Pyi Htaung Su Road, Nyaung Pin Htaung Ward, Aungpan	081-60501, 60503

Climate

Aungpan
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3     22 7     5     23 8     13     27 12     50     29 16     205     27 17     244     25 17     274     24 17     293     24 18     259     25 17     209     24 16     84     23 12     15     21 8 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source:
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.1     71 44     0.2     74 46     0.5     81 53     2     85 61     8.1     80 63     9.6     76 63     11     75 63     12     75 64     10     76 63     8.2     76 60     3.3     73 53     0.6     70 47 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Aungpan has a Dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Cwa), closely bordering a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) according to Köppen climate classification. Cwa is monsoonal influenced, having the classic dry winter – hot summer pattern associated with tropical monsoonal climates.

The town has three seasons: the hot, dry inter-monsoonal season (mid-February to mid-May), the rainy southwest monsoon (mid-May to late October), and the cool, relatively dry northeast monsoon (late October to mid-February).

The weather is usually warm and temperate. When compared with winter, the summers have much more rainfall. The average annual temperature in Aungpan is 19.1 °C (66.3 °F). The warmest month of the year is April, with an average temperature of 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). At 14.2 °C (57.6 °F) on average, January is the coldest month of the year. In a year, the rainfall is 1654 mm (65.1 inches). The difference in precipitation between the driest month and the wettest month is 290 mm (11 inches). The variation in annual temperature is around 8.5 °C (47.3 °F).

Climate data for Aungpan (1982–2012)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	21.7 (71.1)	23.3 (73.9)	27.3 (81.1)	29.3 (84.7)	26.8 (80.2)	24.7 (76.5)	24.1 (75.4)	24 (75)	24.7 (76.5)	24.3 (75.7)	22.6 (72.7)	20.9 (69.6)	24.5 (76.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	6.8 (44.2)	7.6 (45.7)	11.9 (53.4)	16.1 (61.0)	17 (63)	17.4 (63.3)	17.4 (63.3)	17.6 (63.7)	17.1 (62.8)	15.6 (60.1)	11.7 (53.1)	8.2 (46.8)	13.7 (56.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	3 (0.1)	5 (0.2)	13 (0.5)	50 (2.0)	205 (8.1)	244 (9.6)	274 (10.8)	293 (11.5)	259 (10.2)	209 (8.2)	84 (3.3)	15 (0.6)	1,654 (65.1)
Average rainy days	1	0.2	8	14	27	21	30	29	24	24	2	3	183.2
Average relative humidity (%)	64	44	38	50	72	86	91	93	90	87	85	70	72.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours	231	255	316	375	357	247	190	178	188	229	209	231	3,006
Mean daily sunshine hours	7	8	10	12	12	9	8	8	9	8	7	7	8.75
Average ultraviolet index	4	5	6	6	6	6	4	6	5	5	4	5	5.2
Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Source 2: https://www.worldweatheronline.com

Education

• B.E.H.S (3) Aungpan
• B.E.H.S (5) Aungpan

The town is home to:

• Regional campus Yezin Agricultural University (YAU)

Education service centers are also getting common in the town for a decade ago. School-cum-hostels host students from nearby villages and towns. Yezin Agricultural University (YAU) (Template:Lang-my) had established a branch in Aungpan. Starting from the 2009 academic year, third-year and fourth-year undergraduate students have to select one crop as a specialized subject and study off-campus at one of seven designated farms of the Myanmar Agricultural Service. The aim is to "expose students to their specialized crop and do more research in order to become crop specialists". The undergraduate students come to the Aungpan branch to study and do research on maize and cereals. The Seven-hundred bed military hospital also serves as a teaching hospital for Defence Service Medical Academy's house surgeons from Yangon. Therefore, several students of various age-levels can be seen in the town.

Health care

Public Hospitals

• Aungpan General Hospital
• 700-bed military Hospital
• Gayunar Yike Nyein Clinic (Template:My)

Notable people

Dagon Taya

Dagon Taya Template:Lang-my; (10.5.1919 – 19.8.2013; ), was a renowned Myanmar writer. He was born at Htai Ku Myit Tan Village (Mon), Kyaiklat Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region on 10 May 1919. His other pen names were Myaing Thazin, Maung Nan Nwe, Saw Htut, U Toe, Maung Linn Htet, Banya Thiha and U Dagon.

He was one of the many dissident politicians, workers, students, and writers detained by the Revolutionary Council after a coup led by General Ne Win in 1962. He was detained in the Insein prison for three years and three months. He issued an appeal which strongly opposed the Myitsone Dam Project in September 2011.

He was honored with Manhae Peace Prize from South Korea for his literature, leadership for young people and dedication to democracy and peace in August 2013.

He passed away at Aungpan, Southern Shan State on August 19, 2013. His monument can be seen at the Maeko Mountain (မယ်ခိုတောင်) of Aungpan surrounded by pine trees.

Lu Min (actor)

Lu Min (Burmese: လူမင်း) is a four-time Myanmar Academy Award winning Burmese actor and director. Born and raised in Aungpan, he was Chairman of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation from 2014 to 2017. He acted in over 1000 films.

Aungchanthar Pagoda

Aung Chan Thar Pagoda under construction. (February, 2020)

Locals in the town hope that an ongoing pagoda project of Aungchanthar Pagoda will change visitors’ perceptions of their hometown and will become the landmark and symbol of the religion. Aungchanthar Pagoda is a 162-foot (48.5-meter) replica of Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda. It was founded on July 20th, 2005 – the full moon day of Waso, (1367 in the Myanmar calendar). Its name literally means “Victory and Prosperity”.

Leading the project is U Pyinnya Wunsa (68 years old), the abbot of Aungchanthar monastery and a member of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, locally known as Aungchanthar Sayadaw.

Aung Chan Thar Pagoda under construction. (February, 2020)

There is still a lot of work to do until the Pagoda is complete. He decided to build the Pagoda because Aungpan is at the center of several famous places in the region, such as Inle Lake and Pindaya, and visitors frequently ask him why the town doesn't have any sacred pagoda.

It has been under construction for about fifteen years. It had been spent about Kyat six billion (about US$ 6 million) on the pagoda and it's about two-third finished. In 2005, it was estimated to cost about Kyat 7.6 billion.

The project has been really quite slow in the past ten years but visitors to the region often want to donate after hearing about the project. Now the project is moving much faster.

File:Interior structure of pagoda.jpg

The interior structure of pagoda. (February, 2020)

When completed, the pagoda will be encircled by 107 smaller stupas, ranging in height from 6 feet (1.8 meters) to 12 feet (3.6 meters). While Aungchanthar Pagoda will replicate Shwedagon Pagoda, it will also incorporate a hollow interior.

Aungpan's 100th year Anniversary

2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town. The locals celebrated the town's 100th anniversary with many celebrations. The town's 100-years-anniversary clock-tower was also built at the Pindaya junction. The tower was removed in 2019 due to the upgrading of the Thazi-Kyaingtong four-lane road and to be rebuilt in the same place by the construction company.

External links

• Satellite map at Maplandia.com