Nawnghkio Township (Burmese: နောင်ချိုမြို့နယ်, Shan: ၸႄႈဝဵင်းၼွင်ၶဵဝ်) is a township of Kyaukme District in the Shan State of eastern Myanmar. The principal town and administrative seat is Nawnghkio. The name 'Nawnghkio' was started to call after a camp near a green lake (Shan language: nawng = lake or natural pond, hkio = green). The lake is located in the west of 'Haw Taw Monastery' of today's Nawnghkio.[2]
Geography
The township lies between 22° 45' and 23° 15' north latitude and 96° 00' and 97° 00' east longitude. Altitude ranges from 700 feet above the sea level in the lowest to 4300 feet in the highest with an average of 2750 feet. Occupying nearly half of the center of the land is highly productive plane surrounded by mountains in north, east, south and west. Mountains of the southern region are the highest. More than half of the surface area is covered by rain forests. Average number of raining days range from 90 to 130 days per year and annual rail fall varies from 47 to 70 inches. Thunder storms struck the area in the rainy season (May to October). Being in the temperate zone, the temperature varies from 43°-81 °F in the cold season to 61°-96 °F in the hot season. Many small rivers and streams are running across the township throughout the year forming waterfalls in some places. These waterfalls include Inn Wine waterfall, Namngo waterfall, Inn Hpo waterfall, Chaunggyi Yay Pyan Taung waterfall and Thabyedoe waterfalls. A hot water spring can be seen near Seik Hpu village. Thirty small dams are constructed for irrigation. Small scale hydroelectric power is used in many places.[2]
Thonze town is the administrative seat of the township in the past. On 28/April/1899, at the same time the Goteik viaduct (bridge) was started to be built across the Gokteik gorge near Nawnghkio, the seat moved to Nawnghkio. On 10/August/1961, Nawnghkio Farm Council was founded. According to official announcement letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated 21/June/1972, Nawnghkio Township was organized with the following 6 wards and 35 village tracts of 249 villages:[2]
Nawnghkio Myoma Group of 6 wards: Zay, Bhu Tar, Taung, Par Hat, Thapyay Yay, Nar Shao
People trade in "Every-Fifth-Day-Markets", which are well-known trading places in Shan State, situated in Nawnghkio, Kangyi, Tawnghkam, Ban Bwe, Hsumhsai, Thonse, Hokho and Thayetkon villages. Annual pagoda festivals are also popular trading places. People also trade in brokers' sales centers. Nawnghkio Myanma Economic Bank, KBZ Bank, CB Bank, Aya Bank and Myanmar Apex Banks are the available banking services of the township.[2]
Mining is another economic contributor to the township. Yadanar Theigi Mine is in the north most part of the township. Other smaller mines are also functional. Mines in the township are productive of various kinds of metals.
Ancient stupas and temples: in Thonze, Myin Phyu, Thaphankaing, Shweku-letpan, Chaungtha (Hokho village tract) and Namlinkhan village
"Saya San Cave" situated 3 kilometers southeast of Hokho village where the leader of the Burmese peasant revolt of 1930-1931 and the leader of the first concerted effort to forcefully resist British domination, Saya San, and his followers spent their last days.
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