Pakokku

Pakokku (ပခုက္ကူမြို့, pəkhoʊʔkù) is the largest city in the Magway Region of Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northeast of Bagan on the Irrawaddy River. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township , Pakokku District and Gangaw District. Pakokku Bridge is part of the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway and is the longest bridge in Myanmar. It is home of the Pakokku Airport. The city is the location of Computer University, Pakokku, Pakokku Education College, Technological University, Pakokku, and Pakokku University. Thiho Shin Pagoda (The Lord of Sri Lanka Pagoda), Shwe Ku Pagoda, Shwe Mothtaw Pagoda, Shwe Tant Tit, and Phaung Taw Oo Pagoda are famous pagodas in Pakokku. Pakokku is also the largest rice market city of Upper Myanmar. Before British occupation, Pakokku was a small village and part of both Pakhangyi and Bagan districts. The British occupied Upper Burma on 29 November 1885. On 1 December 1887, British India Government established Pakokku Municipal. On 21 December 1887, British India government ordered Pakokku as a town of Pakhangyi District with the population of 1,985. By the order degree (201) of British Government, Pakhangyi District was abolished and Pakokku District was established on 21 July 1888. In 1901,the population of Pakokku was 19,456. During 13 years, Pakokku's population and developments were increased rapidly. In 1896, Pakokku became a capital city of Pakokku Hill Tracts Districts. The area under its administration included Pakokku District, Chin State outside Paletwa township, Gangaw District, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya outside Shillong township. In the early months of 1930, political speeches for Burma's colonial separation from British India were held in Shwegu Pagoda. U Lwin was appointed a new mayor of Pakokku on 7 November 1930. Pakokku Municipal election was held on 10 December 1930. In the early morning of 22 March 1931, heavy fire burned in Pakokku and more than 3,000 people were homeless, so Pakokku Fire Brigade was established on 7 April 1931.