Kyaukse ( Burmese : ကျောက်ဆည် မြို့ , pronounced [tɕaʊʔ sʰɛ̀ mjo̰] ) is a town and the capital of Kyaukse District in Mandalay Region , Myanmar . Lying on the Zawgyi River , 25 miles (40 km) south of Mandalay , it is served by the Mandalay-Yangon (Rangoon) railway. The first Myanmar probably settled in the area about 800, and local 12th- and 13th-century inscriptions refer to Kyaukse as “the first home”. Remains of pagodas and old cities are found throughout the area. The Shwethalyaung Pagoda , built by King Anawrahta (1044–77), is located in Kyaukse.
10-512: Kyaukse is famous for the Kyaukse elephant dance festival , and for being the home town of former dictator Senior General Than Shwe . The town's industrial zone is one of more than 30 across the country. The surrounding area consists of a level strip running south from Mandalay along the foothills of the Shan Plateau . The area is located in the heart of Myanmar’s dry zone but is drained by
20-472: A trip to China . Upon his return to Pagan, he decided to build a pagoda to house the precious relics. He strapped the replica of the Buddha's teeth to the back of his white elephant Sinma Yintha and told the elephant to choose a suitable spot for the new pagoda. When the elephant stopped in the two hills, named Thalyaung and Pyetkhaywe, the monarch ordered the construction of pagodas on each summit and enshrined
30-493: Is held every year on the day before full moon day of Thadingut with a total of 29 elephants gracing the stage – 17 traditional, six sequined, and six baby elephants, according to the committee. A huge elephant figure is made from bamboo and paper. The competition teams from various wards of Kyaukse. Men take their places inside the figure and dance around the town to the accompanied by drums, oboe, cymbals, brass gongs and bamboo clappers. The elephant dancers circles three times at
40-536: Is held is on the day before full moon day of the Burmese lunar month of Thadingyut and the full moon day in Kyaukse , near Mandalay . The festival has been celebrated every year since Pagan period and also grown in popularity among the growing number of foreign tourists visiting Myanmar. The colourful competition sees teams and individuals wearing elephant costumes perform various traditional dances. King Anawratha of Pagan obtained several Buddhist relics on
50-593: Is known for its turmeric , mango and onions . The town has a relatively large shopping centre Aye Mya Kyi Lin Market . Kyaukse is home to the This Mandalay Region location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kyaukse elephant dance festival Kyaukse elephant dance festival ( Burmese : ကျောက်ဆည်ဆင်ပွဲ ) is an annual major traditional dance festival in Myanmar. It
60-565: The Panlaung and Zawgyi rivers, which were used for an ancient irrigation-canal system that predates Myanmar settlement in the area. Kyaukse has been an important area in Myanmar history . It is well irrigated and lush, and has been ever since the Bagan era when it was known as the granary of the kingdom. King Anawrahta built numerous fortresses along his kingdom's borders, as well as along
70-463: The elephant dance. Winners get to take home a sum of cash prizes for their deft performances and hours of training. First-place winners of the traditional elephant contest receive K1 million; second place, K800,000; and third K600,000. Prizes are given out for the sequined and baby elephant competition as well, with financial support from the committee. On the full moon day, thousands of pilgrims carry small paper elephants 900 feet (275 metres) uphill to
80-519: The foot of the hill to pay homage to the Shwethalyaung Pagoda and then compete in front of a panel of judges. It is a dance that requires precise rhythm and timing in order for the elephant dancers to maintain unity inside the elephant figure. People from far and near come to visit Kyaukse and watch the elephant dance. Awards are given out to each distinct elephant group, for those that show the most convincing and traditional portrayal of
90-419: The relic at Shwethalyaung Pagoda . To honor the royal elephants a festival is held every year at the foot of Shwethalyaung Hill . Since the days of King Anawratha, Kyaukse town upon Shwethalyaung Hill has celebrated the elephant dance festival. Traditionally locals don a colourfully decorated, life-size elephant costume, welcoming the end of Thadingyut with a unique array of dance and acrobats. The festival
100-539: The rivers flowing within his lands. Tamote was one of nine fortresses along the rivers of Kyaukse region, erected because he needed protection against invasion by water. When Than Shwe was in power at the head of the military regime, a heavy industrial zone was established in Kyaukse – supposedly to provide employment, though its population is relatively small. Kyaukse Township is now constituted with one town, 10 wards and 223 villages of 87 village-tracts. The Kyaukse area
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