# Kengtung > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kengtung > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kengtung.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kengtung > Source revision: 1342082657 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article is about the town. For the district, see [Kengtung District](/source/Kengtung_District). For the township, see [Kengtung Township](/source/Kengtung_Township). For the former state, see [Kengtung State](/source/Kengtung_State). **Kengtung** (shn: *ဝဵင်းၵဵင်းတုင်* weŋ˥ keŋ˥ tuŋ˨˦, Thai: เชียงตุง), also spelt **Kyaingtong** (; tɕáɪɰ̃ tòʊɰ̃ mjo̰), classical name **Tungapuri**,[1] is a city in [Shan State](/source/Shan_State), [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar) (formerly Burma). It is the principal town of [Kengtung Township](/source/Kengtung_Township) and the former seat of [Kengtung State](/source/Kengtung_State), a minor principality. Kengtung is located on the [National Highway 4](/source/National_Highway_4_(Burma)) (NH4) and at the [AH2](/source/AH2) and [AH3](/source/AH3) of the [Asian Highway](/source/Asian_Highway). It is also the largest city and the capital of eastern [Shan State](/source/Shan_State), [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar). ## Etymology Owing to Kengtung's proximity to China and Thailand, the city is known by a number of [exonyms and endonyms](/source/Exonym_and_endonym). The endonym used by [Tai Khun](/source/Kh%C3%BCn_language) and [Tai Lue](/source/Tai_Lue_language)-speaking locals is **Jeng Tung** (ᨾᩮᩨ᩠ᨦᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᨲᩩᨦ) respectively. Other [Shan](/source/Shan_language) speakers use the exonym **Kengtung**. The most common exonym, **Kyaingtong**, is derived from the [Burmese](/source/Burmese_language) approximation of Kengtung. The exonym of **Chiang Tung** (Thai: เชียงตุง, t͡ɕʰīa̯ŋ tūŋ) is used by Thai speakers, while Chinese speakers use **Jingdong** (). ## History Main article: [Kengtung State](/source/Kengtung_State) The early history of Kengtung is made up of myths and legends. The [oral tradition](/source/Oral_tradition) of the [Tai people] says that the ancient city of Kengtung was founded in the distant past by Tai Lue as the original inhabitants of the region,[2] and was later reestablished by the grandson of King [Mangrai](/source/Mangrai) after defeating the Tai Lue.[3] This migration of the [Chiang Mai](/source/Chiang_Mai) dynasty in the 13th century, with the founding a new kingdom which was later named [Lanna](/source/Lanna), has resulted in Kengtung having a different type of Tai population from the rest of the [Shan State](/source/Shan_State), the [Tai Khün](/source/Tai_Kh%C3%BCn). Kengtung, like other major towns in the Shan Plateau, was home to a Shan [Saopha](/source/Saopha) (Sawbwa). Kengtung was the capital of the [Kengtung State](/source/Kengtung_State). In 1905, [Sao Kawng Kiao Intaleng](/source/Sao_Kawng_Kiao_Intaleng) built the [Kengtung Palace](/source/Kengtung_Palace). The city was seized and occupied by the Thai [Phayap Army](/source/Phayap_Army) from 1942 until the end of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) and became the headquarters of the [Saharat Thai Doem](/source/Saharat_Thai_Doem) territory.[4] The headquarters of the regional military command of the [Tatmadaw](/source/Tatmadaw) is in the town.[5] ## Geography Kengtung contains several lakes. The largest, [Naung Tung Lake](/source/Naung_Tung_Lake), lies in the western part of the city, followed by [Naung Kham Lake](/source/Naung_Kham_Lake) and [Naung Yarng Lake](/source/Naung_Yarng_Lake) to the south of the [Kentung Roman Catholic Mission](/source/Kentung_Roman_Catholic_Mission). ## Transportation The town is served by [Kengtung Airport](/source/Kengtung_Airport). Kengtung is located on the [National Highway 4](/source/National_Highway_4_(Burma)) (NH4) and at the [AH2](/source/AH2) and [AH3](/source/AH3) of the [Asian Highway](/source/Asian_Highway). ## Climate Kengtung has a tropical wet and dry/ savanna climate (Köppen-Geiger classification: Aw) with a pronounced dry season in the low-sun months, no cold season, wet season is in the high-sun months. Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months (December–February) are milder and nights can be quite cool. There is a winter dry season (December–April) and a summer wet season (May–November). ## Education - Keng Tung University - Keng Tung Computer University - Keng Tung Technological University - Keng Tung Education Degree College - Government Technical High School (Keng Tung) ## Health care - Keng Tung General Hospital ## See also - [Maha Myat Muni Temple](/source/Maha_Myat_Muni_Temple) - [Wat Zom Khum](/source/Wat_Zom_Khum) - [Kengtung Palace](/source/Kengtung_Palace) - [Tachileik](/source/Tachileik) - [Kengtung District](/source/Kengtung_District) ## Bibliography - Forbes, Andrew; Henley, David (2011). *Traders of the Golden Triangle*. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN: B006GMID5 - [J. G. Scott](/source/J._G._Scott), *Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States*. 5 volumes Rangoon, 1900–1901. - [Sao Sāimöng](/source/Sao_S%C4%81im%C3%B6ng) Mangrāi, *The Pādaeng Chronicle and the Kengtung State Chronicle Translated*. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1981 ## External links - [*The Happy City*](https://archive.org/details/happy_city), a 1959 film on a remote leper colony run by Father Cesare Columbo in Kengtung, Shan State - [pictures from Kengtung](http://kengtong.weebly.com/) ## References 1. Mangrai, Sao Saimong (2002). *The Padaeng Chronicle and the Jengtung State Chronicle Translated*. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Centers for South and Southeast Asian Studies. p. 3. ISBN 0-89148-087-0. 1. [M. Fiskesjo, *On the Ethnoarchaeology of Fortified Settlements in the Northern part of Mainland Southeast Asia*](http://newdoc.nccu.edu.tw/teasyllabus/113721265905/Fiskesjo%20on%20Fortified%20Villages.pdf) 1. [History](http://www.docstoc.com/docs/30987758/%E2%80%9CLua-Leading-Dogs_-Toting-Chaek_-Carrying-Chickens%E2%80%9D-Some-Comments) 1. [Shan and Karenni States of Burma](http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Myanmar_shankaren.html) 1. Donald M. Seekins, *Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar)*, p. 251 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kengtung](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kengtung) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kengtung?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.