Mu River
Encyclopedia
Mu River is a river in upper central Myanmar (Burma), and a tributary of the country's chief river the Ayeyarwady
. It drains the Kabaw valley and part of the Dry Zone between the Ayeyarwady to the east and its largest tributary Chindwin River
to the west, flows directly north to south for about 275 km (170.9 mi) and enters the Ayeyarwady west of Sagaing
near Myinmu
.
Its catchment area above the Kabo weir
is 12,355 sqkm (4,826 sqmiles). River flow and rainfall are both seasonal and erratic, at its lowest from January to April, rising sharply during May and June, and high from August to October. Because the Mu lies within the Dry Zone in the rain shadow
of Rakhine
Yoma, it receives scanty summer monsoon
rainfall with a total streamflow
of 350 mm. An old popular expression in Burmese
goes thus: Ma myinbu, Mu myit htin - If you haven't seen a river before, you'd think the Mu is it. It may also be called Mu Chaung (creek) rather than Mu Myit (river) by some.
The wooded upper Mu valley is populated by the Kadu and Kanan minorities whereas the fertile lower valley constitutes part of the heartlands of the ethnic majority Bamar
.
that guarded the irrigated Mu valley, an important granary to the Bamar kingdom of Ava
. These attacks culminated in a full scale invasion in 1524 and the establishment of Shan rule (1527–1555). The Kabaw Valley
saw many an invasion by the kingdom of Manipur
to the west, most notably during the reign of King Garibaniwaj
(1709–1748) when his army crossed over the Chindwin and the Mu, took Myedu, and reached as far as Sagaing opposite the capital Ava
. The tables were turned in 1758 after King Alaungpaya
ascended the Burmese throne and invaded Manipur.
Descendants from Portuguese
captives, taken by King Anaukpetlun
after defeating the adventurer Philip de Brito
and settled in the area in the 17th C, still keep their Roman Catholic faith. And to this day their ancestry is discernible from their features.
The railroad bridge over the Mu river was destroyed by the retreating Japan
ese forces during World War II
. During April and July 1943, USAF B-25s attacked the bridge between Ywataung and Monywa
with little success, but accidentally hit upon a method of successful bombing on New Years Day 1944. The 490th squadron
became so proficient that they won the accolade "Burma Bridge Busters".
An eyewitness report states that, at the time of the Depayin Massacre
in May 2003, most of the victims killed were burnt and the remains dumped in the Mu river.
hardwood
of the Dipterocarpus
spp., mainly D. tuberculatus, dominates in the forests mixed with some ingyin (Pentacme suavis and Shorea oblongifolia
), taukkyan (Terminalia tomentosa), thitsi (Melanorrhoea usitata
), bamboo, and kaing tall grass (Saccharum spp.) around water holes.
Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, with the Mu next to its eastern boundary, was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1941 for the conservation of the brow-antlered deer Thamin (Cervus eldi thamin). There has been a decline in the population of large mammals since the end of WWII into the 80s, and these include tiger, bear, leopard, gaur
, banteng
, wild dog
, barking deer and hog deer
.
White-Winged Duck
(Cairina scutulata), an endangered species
of forest duck, is native to the Mu river.
, Budalin
, Dabayin
, Ye-U
and Kin-U
. From Kin-U it links with the Mandalay
- Myitkyina
railway line, and from Monywa with the Sagaing-Monywa line.
Kabo Weir was constructed on the Mu between 1901-1907 by the British
colonial administration. The largest dam and reservoir in the region at Thaphanseik for irrigation and hydroelectric power (30 MW) was also completed in May 2002 with Chinese
aid.
Ayeyarwady River
The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...
. It drains the Kabaw valley and part of the Dry Zone between the Ayeyarwady to the east and its largest tributary Chindwin River
Chindwin River
The Chindwin River is a river in Burma , and the largest tributary of the country's chief river the Ayeyarwady . It flows entirely within Burma and is known as Ning-thi to the Manipuris.-Source:...
to the west, flows directly north to south for about 275 km (170.9 mi) and enters the Ayeyarwady west of Sagaing
Sagaing
Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...
near Myinmu
Myinmu
Myinmu is a river town in the southeast of the Sagaing Division in Burma. The town has a rich history linked to World War II during the Burma Campaign against the Japanese, in 1944. It was also under the control of the Portuguese Missionaries in the 19th century...
.
Its catchment area above the Kabo weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
is 12,355 sqkm (4,826 sqmiles). River flow and rainfall are both seasonal and erratic, at its lowest from January to April, rising sharply during May and June, and high from August to October. Because the Mu lies within the Dry Zone in the rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
of Rakhine
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
Yoma, it receives scanty summer monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
rainfall with a total streamflow
Streamflow
Streamflow, or channel runoff, is the flow of water in streams, rivers, and other channels, and is a major element of the water cycle. It is one component of the runoff of water from the land to waterbodies, the other component being surface runoff...
of 350 mm. An old popular expression in Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
goes thus: Ma myinbu, Mu myit htin - If you haven't seen a river before, you'd think the Mu is it. It may also be called Mu Chaung (creek) rather than Mu Myit (river) by some.
The wooded upper Mu valley is populated by the Kadu and Kanan minorities whereas the fertile lower valley constitutes part of the heartlands of the ethnic majority Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
.
History
In 1503 Mong Yang Shans attacked and took the northern garrison town of MyeduMyedu
Myedu is a small town located in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar . The town was the fief of King Hsinbyushin of Konbaung Dynasty, who was also known as Myedu Min....
that guarded the irrigated Mu valley, an important granary to the Bamar kingdom of Ava
Ava
Innwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
. These attacks culminated in a full scale invasion in 1524 and the establishment of Shan rule (1527–1555). The Kabaw Valley
Kabaw Valley
The Kabaw Valley is a highland valley in northern Burma , western Sagaing division. It is drained by the Mu River. The valley is the home of a number of ethnic minorities including the Zo, the Mizo, the Kadu and the Kanan.-History:...
saw many an invasion by the kingdom of Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
to the west, most notably during the reign of King Garibaniwaj
Pamheiba
Meidingu Pamheiba was an emperor in Manipur in the early 18th century. After conversion to Hinduism, he made it the official religion of Manipur in 1717...
(1709–1748) when his army crossed over the Chindwin and the Mu, took Myedu, and reached as far as Sagaing opposite the capital Ava
Ava
Innwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
. The tables were turned in 1758 after King Alaungpaya
Alaungpaya
Alaungpaya was king of Burma from 1752 to 1760, and the founder of the Konbaung Dynasty. By his death in 1760, the former chief of a small village in Upper Burma had reunified all of Burma, subdued Manipur, recovered Lan Na, and driven out the French and the English who had given help to the...
ascended the Burmese throne and invaded Manipur.
Descendants from Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
captives, taken by King Anaukpetlun
Anaukpetlun
Anaukpetlun was the sixth king of Toungoo dynasty of Burma, and was largely responsible for restoring Burmese kingdom after it had famously collapsed at the end of 16th century. In his 22-year reign between 1606 and 1628, Anaukpetlun completed the reunification efforts of the Burmese kingdom begun...
after defeating the adventurer Philip de Brito
Philip de Brito
Filipe de Brito e Nicote or Nga Zinga was a Portuguese adventurer and mercenary in Rakhine service.Born to French father in Lisbon, Portugal, de Brito first traveled to Southeast Asia as a cabin boy. He eventually served under the King of Arakan, and became governor of Thanlyin in 1599...
and settled in the area in the 17th C, still keep their Roman Catholic faith. And to this day their ancestry is discernible from their features.
The railroad bridge over the Mu river was destroyed by the retreating Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese forces during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During April and July 1943, USAF B-25s attacked the bridge between Ywataung and Monywa
Monywa
Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.-Transport:...
with little success, but accidentally hit upon a method of successful bombing on New Years Day 1944. The 490th squadron
490th Missile Squadron
The 490th Missile Squadron is part of the 341st Missile Wing based at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. It operates Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.-History:...
became so proficient that they won the accolade "Burma Bridge Busters".
An eyewitness report states that, at the time of the Depayin Massacre
Depayin massacre
The Depayin Massacre occurred on 30 May 2003, when at least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy were killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma.-Commission observations:...
in May 2003, most of the victims killed were burnt and the remains dumped in the Mu river.
Flora and fauna
Large-leaved deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
of the Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus
Dipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus has about 70 species, occurring in Southeast Asia. It is an important component of dipterocarp forests...
spp., mainly D. tuberculatus, dominates in the forests mixed with some ingyin (Pentacme suavis and Shorea oblongifolia
Shorea oblongifolia
Shorea oblongifolia is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
), taukkyan (Terminalia tomentosa), thitsi (Melanorrhoea usitata
Melanorrhoea usitata
Melanorrhoea usitata is a tree of the Anacardiaceae family....
), bamboo, and kaing tall grass (Saccharum spp.) around water holes.
Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, with the Mu next to its eastern boundary, was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1941 for the conservation of the brow-antlered deer Thamin (Cervus eldi thamin). There has been a decline in the population of large mammals since the end of WWII into the 80s, and these include tiger, bear, leopard, gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, banteng
Banteng
The banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...
, wild dog
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
, barking deer and hog deer
Hog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
.
White-Winged Duck
White-winged Wood Duck
The White-winged Duck or White-winged Wood Duck is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus Cairina and allied with the dabbling ducks...
(Cairina scutulata), an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of forest duck, is native to the Mu river.
Development
The Mu valley is fertile and the government's efforts to develop the region can be seen in the Mu River Valley Project. Mu River Bridge was finished in April 2000, a rail-and-road bridge that links MonywaMonywa
Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.-Transport:...
, Budalin
Budalin
Budalin is a town in Budalin Township, Monywa District, Sagaing Division in Burma . It is the administrative seat of Budalin Township. The town is connected by road and rail to Monywa, Dabayin, Kin-U and Ye-U, with a bridge over the Mu River....
, Dabayin
Dabayin
-History:Located a few kilometers west of Shwebo, the birthplace of Konbaung dynasty, Dabayin was a major source of many Konbaung soldiers and officials, including the country's most famous general Maha Bandula. Having Dabayin as fief was a powerful symbol before one became king. King Naungdawgyi...
, Ye-U
Ye-U
Ye-U is a town in the Sagaing Division in Myanmar....
and Kin-U
Kin-U
Kin-U is a town in the Sagaing Division in Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Khin-U Township.-External links:* Maplandia...
. From Kin-U it links with the Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
- Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
railway line, and from Monywa with the Sagaing-Monywa line.
Kabo Weir was constructed on the Mu between 1901-1907 by the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
colonial administration. The largest dam and reservoir in the region at Thaphanseik for irrigation and hydroelectric power (30 MW) was also completed in May 2002 with Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
aid.