Mong La

Mong La (Chinese: 勐拉; pinyin: Měnglā), also known as Little Mong La or Xiaomengla (小勐拉) to distinguish from neighboring Chinese Mengla County, is the principal town of Mong La Township in Shan State, Burma. It is approximately 258 kilometres (160 mi) from Mae Sai, a border town of Thailand,[1] and approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Kengtung.[2] It is situated opposite Dalou, a Chinese border town in Yunnan Province. Mong La emerged from a small remote village in the 1990s to become the Myanmar version of Las Vegas.[3]

History

Mong La casinos were closed down in January 2005 for about a year because of complaints from the PRC Government.[4] There has been an increase in illegal wildlife trafficking.[5][6] It has a history of rapid expansion. In the late 2000s, its economy was in decline.[7] The tourism from Thailand to Mong La resumed in 2012 after the signing of new cease fire agreement between the Burmese military government and the Mong La Group in September 2011.[8]

Electricity, telecommunication infrastructure and import/export are dependent on China.[3] The main currency used in there is Chinese yuan.[5]

Visitor attractions

There are 700-1000 visitors each day. Gambling through the Internet is available. Its transvestite cabaret shows attract a lot of tourists from China. Gambling, prostitution and money laundering are other purposes of Chinese visitors. It is the home of Drug Eradication Museum, also known as the Opium Free Zone Museum, and the Dway Nagara Pagoda. Admission to the museum is free.

Geography

Its coordinates are 21° 39'50" N and 100° 02' 24" E.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ Mong La
  2. ↑ Mong La
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Asia Times Online, Virtual gambling in Myanmar's drug country, Michael Black and Roland Fields, Aug 26, 2006
  4. ↑ Thailand, China Williams
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Publications Mongla escapade, LIZ PRICE, February 12, 2011
  6. ↑ Mong La and the Kokang Incident 2 February 2010
  7. ↑ http://www.rabbitadvocacy.com/investigating_the_illegal_wildli.htm
  8. ↑ Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.) Mongla to be reopened for tourists from Thailand 21 March 2012
  9. ↑ collinsmaps.com
  10. ↑ Map of Mong La

External links


Coordinates: 21°39′50″N 100°02′24″E / 21.66389°N 100.04000°E