Two treasures of kachin state
By Khin Khin Lay
The wild terrain of the Kachin State in the far north has such diverse natural treasures such as ice-capped mountains, white-water rivers, and protected wild life sanctuaries as well as precious minerals and gems. Two of the treasures stand out: the beautiful Myit Hson confluence and the Hpakhant mines that produce jade fit for emperors. The treasures are different in nature but equally breath taking.
About 25 miles north of Myitkyina is the confluence where the Mai Kha and M'likha Rivers meet to form the Ayeyarwaddy River, which flows down about a thousand miles into the Bay of Bengal at the far south.
The M'likha is known as the female entity, sister to the male Mai Kha, both born in the icy regions of the Himalayas. The female river runs slow and deep with shadows in her depths. She is mysterious and dangerous and her river banks are steep. She has gold buried deep in the ground, extending inro the jungles. The Mai Kha is wide, it runs swift and joyfully with a chattering sound, and people can easily pan for gold in the river. His banks are flat and covered with small stones turned smooth and round with the millions of years of waves washing over them.
The confluence is known in Burmese as ‘Myit Hson,’ where rivers meet. The water is icy cold and clear, reflecting the mountains and jungles on the far bank. The waters of the newly born Ayeyarwaddy look like blue green liquid crystal and do not change colour until past the first gorge. This First Gorge lies between Myitkyina and the next important port of call, Bhamaw, twisted and narrow, walled with high craggy cliffs and huge ragged boulders hiding under the waters to rip away the bottom of careless boats. Here, the waters rush headlong during the rains or in April when the snows melt.
At the point where the two rivers Mai Kha and M'likha meet, the waters boil as if a fire were under them. The smooth river stones look like dragons' eggs as they line the banks and the river bottom. Some of the stones have a tinge of green, as if they were related to the Imperial Jade found in the Hpakant Mines.
These mines are believed to have been worked since the 13th century. Legends go that a young Chinese trading between Myanmar and China was loading his donkeys and to balance the weight picked up a greenish stone to put in one saddlebag. On his arrival in the Chinese capital, he thought the stone looked pretty and had it cut and polished. The gem was so beautiful that he presented it to the Emperor, who decreed that none below his rank could ever wear this stone and thus Imperial jade was born.
Even old China's state seal was carved out of jade, of which there are two kinds: nephrite, and jadeite. Nephrite is abundantly found in many places but the more translucent jadeite or Imperial jade is, although found in small quantities elsewhere, found in abundance-only in Hpakant. So abundant, in fact, that on New Year's Day of 2001 one mine discovered a 70ft long boulder 40ft underground. When the earth was cleared around it, it turned out to have a circumference of 35ft. It lies there still.
The best jadeite can be a pure lavender colour as well as the freshest green that for years graced the emperors and empresses of China. The Kachin State, with its capital of Myitkyina, seems a land of different colours ranging from the various hues of Imperial jade and the blue green waters of the confluence. The two treasures are the pride of Myanmar.
Book Titles – Lotus (Vol.2, Issue.1, October 2005-January 2006 (Inflight Magazine of AirBagan)
