Myitkyina

The area surrounding Myitkyina, including what is now Waingmaw, has been an important trading zone between China and Myanmar since ancient times. The nearby town of Katkyo, from the Shan Kat Kio (lit. 'Irrawaddy bazaar'), had its legendary founding in 1294 on the left (east) bank of the river. The region was then under the rule of Möng Kawng and other Shan states until the Konbaung dynasty, when it increasingly came under the control of Burmese and Kachin authorities. American Baptist missionary George J. Geis and his wife arrived in Myitkyina in the late 1890s and in 1900 they requested permission to build a mansion in the town. Herman Tegenfeldt, a later Baptist missionary, built a church in his honor in the 1950s, naming it Geis Memorial Church. It is one of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) churches in Myitkyina. …

Myitkyina has a borderline tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) bordering upon both a tropical savanna climate (Aw) and a humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months from December to February are milder. There is a winter dry season from November to April and a summer wet season from May to October. The city residents dispose of the majority of their waste by burning it in small piles by the roadside. Most waste is disposed of in this way, including plastics. Almost every block in the city has a small fire every evening. Burning usually starts late afternoon, and by 6.00 pm the city air is often quite smoky. Burning can start earlier at the weekend. The air quality in Myitkyina in the evenings can be poor, which can make being outside unpleasant. …

Myitkyina is the business center of Kachin State, with many natural resources like jade, gold, amber and teak, as well as wood and agricultural products. As per government data, almost US$2 billion in jade was exported yearly in 2010 and 2011. Now, due to fighting between Kachin Independence Army rebels and the government, most businesses in the region have gone down.

Myitkyina Airport is the main airport serving the city. It connects the cities of Putao, Mandalay, Yangon and also Lashio on Mondays. It takes almost 24 hours to travel between Mandalay and Myitkyina by train. Mandalay–Myitkyina Railway has been used for 100 years. This railway is a major means of transportation for both farmers and traders to deliver goods (before 2021 military coup). It also connects Laiza, Bhamo, China, and Sumprabum by car and can go to Mandalay, Yangon, Lashio, and Magwe By Bus Station. The Myitkyina-Tanai-India road, also known as the Ledo Road, was constructed by the British.

As the capital of the state, it has government offices and a greater population than other cities in the state. The city has a population of approximately 150,000, with a mix of Kachin, Shan, Bamar, Burmese Gorkha and some Chinese and Indians. The Kachin language is the common language among the Kachin. Some people can speak English and Nepali, while the town's people mostly speak Burmese which is the national language of Myanmar. Foreigners are now free to visit Myitkyina without prior government permission, although not advised due to a civil war ongoing currently as of February 2025. Major religions are Theravada Buddhism, Christianity (Roman Catholic and Baptist are major denominations), and other religions such as animism and Islam.