Transportation

The main access to Taunggyi is by road. A railway line that passes through Taunggyi was recently built in 1995, but at the moment it offers no passenger service. Regular railway passenger service to the rest of the country is through the town of Shwenyaung, twelve miles (19 km) to the west. The nearest airport is in the town of Heho

Heho

Heho is a small town in Kalaw Township, Taunggyi District, Shan State of Myanmar . It is the primary air gateway to tourist areas such as Inle Lake.Heho is connected by NH4 to Sakangyi and Taunggyi, the capital of the Shan State in the east...

, 24 miles (38.6 km) by road to the west of Taunggyi.

Culture

Taunggyi is the melting pot for the Myelat area of the Shan State. In addition to the indigenous Pa-Oh and Intha, there is a significant population of Shans, 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...

s, other native ethnic minorities, as well as Gurkha

Burmese Gurkha

Gurkha People are a group of people of Gurkha ethnic origin living in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar...

, Chinese

Burmese Chinese

The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...

 and Burmese Muslims. Like in most of Myanmar, influence of Buddhism is most evidenced by the monasteries scattered throughout the city. However, being a relatively new city, the monasteries are not of historical significance and architecturally not unique. There is also a significant Christian population, as the center of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Taunggyi

Archdiocese of Taunggyi

The Archdiocese of Taunggyi is located in the Shan State of Myanmar. The dioceses of Kentung, Loikaw, Pekhon and Taungngu are suffragans of the archdiocese. The cathedral of the archdiocese is the St...

 the St. Joseph's Cathedral and its associated seminary are the main facilities, as well as a Baptist church, both established by early missionaries. There is also a smaller Anglican church, which originally served the British administrators, but recently it has fallen into a state of disrepair. Four mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s serve the Muslim population of the city, Myo Oo Pali, A Lae Pali and Taung Pali are for large population of Burmese Muslims, and Panthay Pali for the Chinese Panthay

Panthay

Panthays form a group of Chinese Muslims in Burma. Some people refer to Panthays as the oldest group of Chinese Muslims in Burma. However, because of intermixing and cultural diffusion the Panthays are not as distinct a group as they once were.-Etymology:...

 Muslims. There are also a few temples serving the Chinese Buddhist community.

The Taunggyi area is a popular tourist destination. The city itself has an interesting five-day market, where farmers from around the area would come to the Taunggyi on market day and sell fresh produce in the open market, but with more development of the city, the significance of market day has been lessened. However, the market-day tradition continues strong in the outlying small towns. Nearby, Inlay Lake is the home of the unique Intha culture. Inlay is famous for its traditional crafts industry and floating markets that are accessible via traditional longboats. The drive to the Pindaya Caves

Pindaya Caves

The Pindaya Caves , located next to the town of Pindaya, Shan State, Burma are a Buddhist pilgrimage site and a tourist attraction located on a limestone ridge in the Myelat region. There are three "caves" on the ridge which runs north-south, but only the southern cave can be entered and explored...

 provides a good view of the Myelat

Myelat

Myelat is a region of the southern Shan State of Burma. Originally this would have comprised the smaller states typically ruled by "Myosas" or "Ngwegunhmus" , buffering the plains of Burma and the ethnic Shan states further east...

 country. Nearer to Taunggyi at the Kat-ku, one can see hundreds of stupas dating to the 16th century.

There is no significant industry in Taunggyi. It used to be the trans-shipment point for many of the agricultural products of southern Shan State. However, due to recently imposed zoning regulations, most of these operations have been moved to the surrounding new town of Ayetharyar.

Being the capital of the Shan State, Taunggyi hosts many government offices. There is a museum in town which has displays on the Shan culture, as well as items of historical interest, such as belongings of the Sawbwas. The city is also the headquarters of Eastern Command of the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army), and the army occupies a significant portion of the northeast area of the city.

The city is home to the Taunggyi Education College and Taunggyi University

Taunggyi University

Taunggyi University , located in Taunggyi, is the main university in Shan State, Myanmar. The university offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree programs in liberal arts and sciences.-History:...

.

Shan State Cultural Museum

Shan State Cultural Museum

The Shan State Cultural Museum is a museum located at Bogyoke Aung San Road & Eintawshay Road, in Taunggyi, Burma.It displays divans, swords, fans, chairs used by Sawbwa , old paintings, coins and traditional customes of the Shan races..It was established in March 1989.Admission fees is 2 US $ and...

-the state museum lies in Taunggyi.