Lashio

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title: "Lashio" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-shan-state", "township-capitals-of-myanmar"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-shan-state" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lashio" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Lashio
settlement_type	City
native_name
လားရှိုးတိုင်း
native_name_lang	my
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_map	Myanmar
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Myanmar (Burma)
image_skyline	Lashio sight IMG 0595.JPG
imagesize	270px
image_map	Map of Lashio.svg
map_caption	Map of Lashio
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Myanmar
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Shan State
subdivision_type2	District
subdivision_name2	Lashio District
subdivision_type3	Township
subdivision_name3	Lashio Township
established_title	Establishment of Lashio
established_date	CE
unit_pref	Imperial
population_as_of	2009 estimate
population_blank1	Shan, Chinese, Bamars
population_blank1_title	Ethnicities
population_blank2	Buddhism
population_demonym	Lashioan
population_blank2_title	Religions
population_density_km2	auto
population_total	131,000
coordinates
elevation_ft	2746
elevation_m	836
timezone	MMT
utc_offset	+6.30
::

Lashio ( ; Shan: ) is the largest city and the capital of northern Shan State, Myanmar, about 200 km north-east of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Yaw River. Loi Leng, the highest mountain of the Shan Hills, is located 45 km to the south-east of Lashio.

Lashio is the administrative center of Lashio Township and Lashio District; before April 2010, it was also the administrative center of Shan State (North). The population grew from approximately 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It was estimated at approximately 131,000 in 2009. The city was captured by rebel forces in early August 2024 before being retaken by the State Administration Council in April 2025 following a major earthquake which impacted much of Myanmar.

The population is made up of mostly Shan, Chinese and Bamars.

History

The British colonial period in this part of the country began in 1887, and the Myanmar Railways line from Mandalay reached Lashio in 1903.

Before British rule Lashio was also the centre of authority for the northern Shan States, but the Burmese post in the valley was close to the Nam Yao, in an old Chinese fortified camp. The Lashio valley was formerly very populous; but a rebellion, started by the sawbwa of Hsenwi, about ten years before the British occupation, ruined it.

In 1900, the town of Lashio consisted of the European station, with court house and quarters for the civil officers; the military police post, the headquarters of the Lashio battalion of military police; and the native station, in which the various nationalities, Shans, Burmans, Hindus and Muslims, who were divided into separate quarters, with reserves for government servants and for the temporary residences of the five sawbwas of the northern Shan States; and a bazaar.

Lashio became important during the Sino-Japanese War and World War II as the Burmese terminus of the Burma Road. In World War II, Lashio was taken by the Japanese on April 29, 1942 and liberated by the Allies on March 7, 1945.

Myanmar civil war

During Operation 1027 of the Myanmar Civil War, the town was surrounded by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and other rebel forces who took towns around Lashio, although fighting did not immediately take place in the town itself. Many people displaced from fighting elsewhere fled to Laisho for safety. After the ceasefire that ended the operation collapsed, the MNDAA and its allies launched a renewed attack to seize the town, culminating in the Battle of Lashio, where rebel forces were victorious. On 20 January 2025, the MNDAA and the junta agreed to a Chinese-brokered ceasefire, with several sources claiming that a withdraw of the former from Lashio was a condition for the deal. However, neither the junta nor the MNDAA has revealed any details of the deal.

On 18 April 2025, SAC-appointed officials, Myanmar Police Force officers, and other civil servants began arriving in Lashio city itself as the MNDAA withdrew. The officials reinstated the SAC administration by 21 April.

Climate

Lashio has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) according to the Köppen climate classification system, though closely bordering the tropical wet and dry climate (Aw), marked by heavy rains from May to October. The annual rainfall averages 54 in. The average maximum temperature is 27 C and the average minimum 13 C . Temperatures are generally warm throughout the year, though nights are cool from December to March.

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Lashio, elevation 747 m, (1991–2020) | Jan record high C = 38.9 | Feb record high C = 33.5 | Mar record high C = 36.5 | Apr record high C = 38.0 | May record high C = 38.1 | Jun record high C = 37.0 | Jul record high C = 34.6 | Aug record high C = 36.0 | Sep record high C = 35.6 | Oct record high C = 34.4 | Nov record high C = 32.4 | Dec record high C = 30.5 |year record high C = 38.9 | Jan record low C = -1.9 | Feb record low C = 1.0 | Mar record low C = 3.0 | Apr record low C = 8.0 | May record low C = 12.5 | Jun record low C = 18.4 | Jul record low C = 20.1 | Aug record low C = 20.0 | Sep record low C = 16.9 | Oct record low C = 8.3 | Nov record low C = 6.0 | Dec record low C = 0.8 |year record low C = -1.9 |Jan high C = 25.8 |Feb high C = 28.3 |Mar high C = 31.5 |Apr high C = 33.0 |May high C = 31.7 |Jun high C = 30.7 |Jul high C = 29.5 |Aug high C = 29.8 |Sep high C = 30.2 |Oct high C = 29.4 |Nov high C = 27.6 |Dec high C = 25.5 | year high C = 29.4 |Jan mean C = 15.8 |Feb mean C = 17.5 |Mar mean C = 21.0 |Apr mean C = 24.3 |May mean C = 25.6 |Jun mean C = 26.3 |Jul mean C = 25.8 |Aug mean C = 25.9 |Sep mean C = 25.6 |Oct mean C = 24.1 |Nov mean C = 20.6 |Dec mean C = 17.1 | year mean C = 22.5 |Jan low C = 5.9 |Feb low C = 6.7 |Mar low C = 10.5 |Apr low C = 15.6 |May low C = 19.5 |Jun low C = 21.9 |Jul low C = 22.1 |Aug low C = 21.9 |Sep low C = 21.1 |Oct low C = 18.9 |Nov low C = 13.6 |Dec low C = 8.8 | year low C = 15.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 11.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 6.4 |Mar precipitation mm = 13.5 |Apr precipitation mm = 51.3 |May precipitation mm = 137.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 184.1 |Jul precipitation mm = 242.5 |Aug precipitation mm = 237.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 191.3 |Oct precipitation mm = 132.5 |Nov precipitation mm = 43.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 10.2 | year precipitation mm = 1263.2 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 1.5 |Feb precipitation days = 0.9 |Mar precipitation days = 2.3 |Apr precipitation days = 7.4 |May precipitation days = 13.5 |Jun precipitation days = 15.7 |Jul precipitation days = 19.3 |Aug precipitation days = 19.7 |Sep precipitation days = 14.1 |Oct precipitation days = 11.0 |Nov precipitation days = 3.4 |Dec precipitation days = 1.4 |year precipitation days = 110.3 |source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Myanmar/CSV/Lashio_48035.csv | title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 | publisher = World Meteorological Organization | access-date = 16 October 2023}} | source 2 = Norwegian Meteorological Institute (extremes) |date=November 2011}}

Landmarks

Yan Tine Aung Pagoda
Chinese Temple
Natural Hot spring
Sarsana Hill
Mansu Shan Monastery
Lashio Night Bazaar
Hu Mon Dam
Linnoet (bat) cave
Ye Kan Thaung

Transport

Lashio is located at the end of the Burma Road. Lashio Railway Station is the terminus of the Mandalay–Lashio Railway. It is also the end point of the government cart road from Mandalay, from which it is 178 mi distant.

The scenic Goteik viaduct is near Lashio and trains travelling from Mandalay pass over the bridge, which is the highest bridge in Myanmar.

In 2009, a railway link through to Jiegao in China was proposed. In 2011 the proposal was expanded to a link between Kunming and Kyaukphyu. President Thein Sein's signed a memorandum of understanding during his May 2011 visit to Beijing between Myanmar's rail transport ministry and China's state-owned Railway Engineering Corporation to build the railway.

It is the home of Lashio Airport.

Culture

Religious sites include the "Sasana (Pyilon Chanta) Pagoda" and the "Mansu Pagoda". Yepusan spa is nearly five miles away from the city center, and is healthful in winter. Other than some ethnic minorities group, Lashio is also a town with a large Chinese population. The most famous Chinese temple in the area is "观音山灵峰寺" where many Chinese people visited during the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival). Since 2000, Lashio has been important for border trade between Myanmar and China. . It is 190 km from Muse, and is situated midway between Muse and Mandalay.

Sai Mauk Kham, one of the Vice Presidents of Myanmar's democratic government from the 2010 general election, was elected from Lashio constituency.

Education

The town is home to the Lashio University, the Computer University (Lashio), the Technology University (Lashio), the Education College (Lashio) and the Lashio Nursing School.

Gallery

References

{{cite EB1911
(2004-11-01). "Loi Leng". Peakbagger.com.
"Population of Lashio, Myanmar". Population.mongabay.com.
Ferrie, Jared. (2013-05-29). "Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes in Myanmar, one dead". Reuters.
(4 January 2024). "Surrounded Myanmar Junta Troops Shell Civilians, Blow Bridges in Lashio".
(3 July 2024). "Myanmar's MNDAA Launches Offensive to Seize Northern Shan Capital".
[https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/kokang-army-to-withdraw-from-lashio-under-chinese-brokered-ceasefire-with-myanmar-junta/ Kokang army to withdraw from Lashio under Chinese-brokered ceasefire with Myanmar junta] [[Myanmar Now]]. January 20, 2025
[https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/junta-appointed-officials-move-into-lashio-after-mndaa-withdrawal/ Junta-appointed officials move into Lashio after MNDAA withdrawal]. [[Myanmar Now]]. April 18, 2025.
[https://myanmar-now.org/mm/news/62963/ လားရှိုးမြို့ထဲ စစ်ကောင်စီဌာနဆိုင်ရာဝန်ထမ်းများ စတင်ဝင်ရောက် ]. [[Myanmar Now]]. April 18, 2025.
"Maps, Weather, Videos, and Airports for Lashio, Burma". Fallingrain.com.
"Myanmar Climate Report". Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
[http://www.idsa.in/backgrounder/myanmar-in-chinas-push-into-the-indian-ocean_jmpaul_120316 Myanmar in China’s Push into the Indian Ocean], Joshy M Paul, March 14, 2016, retrieved 20 January 2017
"Archived copy".
"Technological University (Lashio) - Lashio District". Most.gov.mm.

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