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| Thau Mountain seen from the east |
Thau Tlang (Thau Mountain or Mountain of Thau) is one of the most famous and beautiful peaks in Northern Chin State. It is in the territory of Ruakhua village, which was founded in 1860. Ruakhua is a village where the Chin hero Pu Hrang Hnin was born who fought the British armies who invaded the Chin Hills.
Thau Tlang or Thau Mountain is a legendary mountain. The top of the peak is sharp like a cone. The north side of the peak is very rocky and steep. The mountain is beautiful and charming. It is situated in the western part of Thantlang Township, Chin State, Myanmar, near the Indian border. It is about two miles south of Ruakhua and about five miles north of Thau Village.
The peak is pretty high. Some cities such as Lunglei, Hnahthial and many other villages in Mizoram State, India can be seen from the peak. Many villages in Thantlang Township can be seen too. The top is a very quiet and joyful place. It is a paradise for the lovers.
Thau Tlang or Thau Mountain is a legendary mountain. The top of the peak is sharp like a cone. The north side of the peak is very rocky and steep. The mountain is beautiful and charming. It is situated in the western part of Thantlang Township, Chin State, Myanmar, near the Indian border. It is about two miles south of Ruakhua and about five miles north of Thau Village.
The peak is pretty high. Some cities such as Lunglei, Hnahthial and many other villages in Mizoram State, India can be seen from the peak. Many villages in Thantlang Township can be seen too. The top is a very quiet and joyful place. It is a paradise for the lovers.
The peak is in the territory of Ruakhua even though the name is called Thau Tlang (Mountain of Thau). It is connected with the famous forest, the so-called Thautu in the south which is a virgin forest. The forest is very thick. Even the summer sunlight cannot penetrate the ground in summer time because of thick branches and leaves. It is like a tropical forest.
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| Ruakhua Village (Founded in 1860) |
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| Ruakhua seen from the northern side |
Historical Background
The name "Thau Tlang" derived first from the name of the nearby village, "Thau," which was founded around before 1787 A.D by Pu Duh Kar. Thau was the largest and oldest village in the surrounding areas in that time. There was no Ruakhua, Ruabuk and Bungtlang yet when Thau Village was first established. Thau was the only village beyond Hriang Khan village in that time.
The territory of Thau covered large areas in that time. It borderline reached to Tio River and Tipi River in the west; Ruavung and then to Thau Tlang (Mountain of Thau) in the north and then to Thautu and Faiceu Tlang and then to Khuaiva and then to the top of Ciriang Tlang. Thau Tlang was in the territory of Thau in that time. Therefore the name, Thau Tlang, derived from Thau Village. Thau Tlang literally means "Thau Mountain."
Thau Tlang was a sacred mountain for the heathen Thau villagers until the times of American missionary who came to the Chin Hills in 1899. The local people used to say that khuachia (evil spirit/nat) in Thau Tlang are very powerful. Khuachia from Thau Tlang used to marry another boys or girls who dwell in Phawngpui Tlang, Mizoram, India or Ciriant Tlang. Thau villagers worshiped and gave sacrifices to the natural spirits of the Thau Mountain each year before Christianity. It was one of the most sacred and powerful mountains in the local areas. Thau people used to pray to the spirits in that mountain when they encountered calamities in the village. They beat traditional drums and prayed that "Please protect us from destruction of fire or storm etc." Thau Tlang is highly revered by the villagers of the surrounding villages until today. Many composers composed its name in the folksongs or love songs.
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| Thau village (The mountain range in the photo is Mizoram, India) |
The British called Thau as "Tao" in the book of the Chin Hills. The second missionary to the Chin Hills, Dr. E.H. East, called Thau Tlang, "Tao Mountain" bases on the pronunciation of the surrounding villages. Dr. East arrived in Rukhua on February 11, 1910. He described about Thau Tlang as follows:
The peculiar thing about this mountain (Tao mountain) is that it has a cap soft sandstone more than 1000 feet thick and all is horizontal. The view is superb and from here one can see Lushai (Mizoram State today) and Haka mountains at the same time. [1]
Dr. East left Ruakhua on Friday. He described his experience about riding his pony near Thau
Tlang on his journey to Thau village. He mentioned Thau Tlang as "Yao Mountain" (It is probably his misspelling). He also mentioned the connection of "Thau Tlang" and "Thau" as follows:
Thau Village has 110 houses and about 600 inhabitants. It is a beautiful country and the woods on the south side of Thau mountains are full of Imperial Pigeons. They are very large and good to eat.[2]
"Thau mountains" here means Thau Tlang today. The phrase "the woods on the south side of Thau mountains" means "Thautu" where many birds inhabited in the past (The jungle of Thautu and Thau Tlang is connected).
The historical facts show that Thau Tlang was named in reference to Thau Village since Thau Tlang was formally in Thau's territory long before the British era. Thau Tlang is officially known as "Thau Tlang" by all the local villages in Thantlang township. It has no other official name until today. Some people also called it "Vaanga Tlang." It is a new name and is coined recently by someone. Many people do not know that new name and is not officially recognized. Thau Tlang is an official name until today.
Dr. East wrote that "the view is superb" when he viewed the west, the north and the west from the top of Thau Mountain. He probably stood in the western side of Thau Tlang. One can clearly sees the mountains in Mizoram, villages in Zahnaktlang, Vanzangtlang and Khuahhringtlang and some parts of Vankham Tlang, Zinghmuh Tlang, Hakha and Rungtlang from the top of Thau Mountain.
Flora and Fauna
Dr. East wrote that "the view is superb" when he viewed the west, the north and the west from the top of Thau Mountain. He probably stood in the western side of Thau Tlang. One can clearly sees the mountains in Mizoram, villages in Zahnaktlang, Vanzangtlang and Khuahhringtlang and some parts of Vankham Tlang, Zinghmuh Tlang, Hakha and Rungtlang from the top of Thau Mountain.
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| Zahnaktlang seen from Thau Mountain. The tall mountain in the photo is Dawn Tlang |
Thau Tlang is covered by deciduous forest. Villagers of Ruakhua declared it as a wildlife sanctuary. Both rhododendron arboretum (red) and rhododendron moulmeinense (white) grow around the peak of the mountain. Bamboos' family plants such as pharh, ruangal and tekte also are very plentiful. Wild banana are around the area. Popular trees for building construction such as mual, hnahsau, mum, hriang, chengcher are also in the area. Many different kinds of vine climbed on the trees that beatify the forest more. The popular wild fruits such as thurthling, kethei, sarzuk and thanthei also grown in Thau Tlang areas.
Many kinds reptile like snake and rat, insect and many kinds of butterfly can be found. Hundreds of unnamed plants and species are in this area. More researches need to be done how many kinds of plants and species are in Thau Tlang areas. There are many indigenous medical plants such as thingkawp, tawlrel, thingsi and thingthupi etc. Some people believe that there could be many indigenous medical plants more to be found in this forest. Lungthi (lit., stone-blood) are also found in the high rocks near the peak. Some fanatic religious believers used to say there is a plant in Thau Tlang that can make a person to live longer.
There are many wild animals are in this mountain. Sakhi, sathar, saza, bear and wild boar are around Thau Tlang areas. Carnivorous animal such as tigers and leopards are also in the jungle of Thau Tlang and Thautu. Many popular birds such as vapual (horn bill), vanvuk, vanga, varit, artau, vavu, vaking, valah, vangal, chimbu, two kinds of hoopoe, three kinds of falcon and many other birds also inhabit in the area. Lungpangkhuai (rocky-bee) are also found. Villagers of Ruakhua forbid killing wildlife in Thau Tlang area.
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| Old Thau village |
Medical missionary, Dr. East mentioned how the birds are abundant in this area in his time that "the woods on the south of Thau mountains (Thau Tlang) are full of Imperial Pigeons."[3] It is not clear what he meant by saying "Imperial Pigeons." It could be "vaking or valah or thuro or vangal" or something else. There are over 100 kinds of bird in Thau Tlang areas. Some of them have no name yet.
The singing birds such as tlerlung, tuklo, fiakfairok, koktut and satututut sing sweetly in the summer time and their sweet voices make Thau Tlang much more a charming place. Thau Tlang charms everyone with it beauty, shape, color, views, and the sweet voices of the singing birds around it. All people, young or old, are always proud who reached the summit of the famous Thau Tlang in their lifetime. If you are planning to have a honey moon or vacation on the peak of Thau Tlang, you are surely going to have one of the best times in your life and that would be an unforgettable memory and would be a paradise for you.
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| Zaral Falls in Thau Tlang |
The Height of Thau Tlang
The peak of Thau Mountain is about 7,200 (EST) above sea level (Some estimate it as 7,400 ft above sea level). The modern Burmese government has no official record of its height that is available publicly. Pickery.com listed it as 5343 feet above sea level.[4] According to Pu Tial Ling, Farrawn Villager, Thau Tlang is 7014 feet high above sea level.[5] This is probably the nearest measurement of the height of Thau Tlang. Most people think Thau Tlang is higher than Ciriang Tlang but Ciriang Tlang is higher in Pu Tial Ling's article.
Many local people think that the height of Thau Tlang and Phawngpui (Blue Mountain) in Mizoram State, India is almost equal. Acording to the official website of the Mizoram Tourism Department, the height of Pawngpui is 2157 meters. It is 7076.78 ft. [6] Therefore the height of Thau Tlang might be a little bit less or more than the height of Phawngpui's peak. It is reasonable height.
Burma has a major problem of doing land survey since the time and General Ne Win. Socialist Government kept so many things secret. Many citizens did not know about the land, river, the country and so many other things around them because the government made them blind in knowledge. A survey needs to be done to measure the actual height of Thau Tlang led by the Chin State government.
How to get there
Thau Tlang is about 65 miles west of Hakha, capital of the Chin State. Cars and motor cycles are available in Thantlang for rent. It can be reached via Hakha to Thantlang, then to Thangzang and then to Ruakhua village, which is in the foot of Thau Tlang. That is the shortest and easiest road. It is expensive renting motor cycles and cars since the roads are rough, small and dangerous. It is very tough to drive cars and motor cycles. If you plan to visit Thau Tlang you would need to carry extra gasoline for reserve. There is no shop to buy gasoline on the way.
Villagers of Ruakhua built the jeep road from Thangzang to Ruakhua voluntarily. It was already opened and getting to Thau Tlang is much easier now then before. Motor cycles are most of the time available from Hakha and Thantlang cities.
Villagers of Ruakhua built the jeep road from Thangzang to Ruakhua voluntarily. It was already opened and getting to Thau Tlang is much easier now then before. Motor cycles are most of the time available from Hakha and Thantlang cities.
Another road is via Thau Village. Thau Tlang is about 5 miles north of Thau. People can walk on foot or ride a horse from Thau to Thau Tlang. The road between Thau and Thau Tlang is so beautiful. It is mostly grassland. The views are spectacular. It is like California in the USA. The author called it "Chinland California" since the landscape is so beautiful and charming like California State.
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| Faiceu Rangge & Thau Tlang seen from the east |
Where to Stay
It is best to stay in Ruakhua Village, which is a hill station. It is situated near the foot of Thau Tlang at a high altitude. From Ruakhua you will be looking down all other villages around her. The local people are very kind and generous. All guests enjoy staying there. Good foods such as deer meats, sakhi meat, varitsa or other wild meats are available most of the times. The fish in the streams around Ruakhua is one of the best fish in the country. It is so delicious. Ruakhua has a lot of "sia" (Mithun) and the dried meat of sia is available most of the time. The climate of Ruakhua is perfect. It is just in the foot of Thau Mountain. It is a small and quiet village but it is a very beautiful, popular and charming village. It will be a perfect place for newly weds for their honeymoon.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Thau Tlang is from November to May. February would be the best month to visit because the blue sky is very clear like the blue ocean and the weather is not cold or hot in that time. Visitors can see a very far place in the west, north and east but the south side because Ciriang Mountain covers the view in the south side. The peak is mostly wet and dark during monsoon season. Fogs and cloud almost always covers the mountain top. It is pretty scary when thick and black cloud passes the mountain top during monsoon season. There are a lot of land leech (cangvat) in the mountain areas during monsoon. Monsoon is the worst time to visit there.
Activities
It is a perfect place for hiking, rock climbing, rock propelling and sight-seeing the birds, flowers, forests and surrounding areas. There is a famous place the so-called "Leitla" (a big lime stone cave) one and half mile away from Thau Tlang. Many people did not dare to enter the cave in the past before Christianity in the Chin Hills because people believed that the evil spirits dwelled inside the cave.
Thau Tlang (Thau Mountain) is in fact one of the best places in the Chin State to visit for adventurers. No westerners visit the mountain top since the time of the British colony. No article has been written about it yet. No research has been done for the plants and species around the mountain. There are so much to learn, study and discover new plants and many unknown species around there. It is a perfect place for the researcher to do a research regarding plants, species and their environment.
One day this Thau Mountain would be one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Myanmar especially for eco-tourists because of her beauty, charm, good climates, having many plants and species. It has a lot of sight-seeing too. It would be a perfect place for rock climbing and rock propelling for rock climbers. This mountain is a must visit place for eco-tourist in the near future.
| Chin traditional harvest system |
[1] Thang Za Tuan, Burma Manuscript (Yangon: Reprint, 1996), p. 213
[2] Burma Manuscript, p.216, 217
[3] Burma Manusript, pg 217.
[4] www.pickery.com/Thau-Klang/
[5] Pu Tial Ling, Thilhlun Kengtu. WWW.Freewebs.com/putialling/thilhlunkengtu.htm
[6] www.mizotourism.nic.in/phawngpui.htm
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