Chungkhar Hmanthlak

Kan Chungkhar Hmanthlak

Mirang nih "Hmanthlak pakhat cu bia thawngkhat man tluk a si" tiah an ti. Kan chungkhar hmanthlak tete hi, tuanbia in tial cawk lo le chim cawklomi bia an si. Bawipa nih a kan pekmi tluachuah vialte lakah a sunglawi bikmi cu, chungkhar hi a si. Kan chiatnak ni le donghnak ni ahcun, chungkhar hi hnubik a tangmi an si. Cucaah chungkhar i dawt cu a biapi tuk. 

Chungkhar Thawknak

Chungkhar timi cu Pathian nih a timh ciami le khan ciami asi. Gen 1 & 2 chung in Adam le Eve nih chungkhar cu an rak thawk. Noah chan ah fapa (3) a ngeihmi hna nih vawleicung miphun kip an chuahter. Babel innsang sak thawk in, vawlei hmunkip ah cu u nau (3) chung chuakmi miphun cu kan i thek dih. 

Pathian theilo le Patian he pehtlai lo in, miphun kip cu vawlei ah kan vaak i kan i thek. Abraham chan in, Pathian nih vawleicungmi cu a kan kawh than i, a kan kawl than. Pathian nih Abraham cu "Ram le miphun nganpi si ding in bia a rak kamh." Cu bantuk si khawhnak ding caah, "mah le miphun le cingla rualchan chung lawng in a si kho lai" ti kha a hmuh caah, a fapa ngeih chun, Isaac cah Canaan ram in Mesopotamia tiang nupi a va kawl i, an tunu Rebecca an va thit. 

Isaac nih fapa pahnih Esau le Jacob a hrin hna tikah, a hniang pa nih miphun ro a co. Unau rorah cuh ruang ah, Jacob cu apu Laban sinah a vung zam i, cuka ahcun, a pu fanu (2) Leah le Rachael nupi ah a van i thit hna. Hika zawn ah chim duhmi cu, chungkhar dirh abiapitnak le chungkhar hmanh ah, naihniam rak i kawlnak a biapitnak le miphun chung minung thitlak a biapitnak kha a chim.

Cucaah Laimi zong hi khawika kan umnak ah ah, Lainu nih cun Laipa vaat a biapi i, Laipa nih Lainu thit cu abiapi tuk ve. Keimah zong 1997 in USA ka phan. USA ah miphun dang tampi kan pawng ah an um ko hna i, thitlak khawh zong an si ve ko hnga. Asinain mah miphun theng thit ding hi, Pathian nih ka thinlung ah rian atuan caah, cu nupi ca cu kum (3) fai chung thla ka cam. 

Cu hnu ah Pathian nih a ka zaangfah i, atu Pi Aye Aye Mu (Duh Thluai Par) cu Yangon in Pathian nih visa a van hmuhter i, 2000 December ah USA a van phakter. April 28, 2001 ah kan i um. Pathian nih fapa (5) fanu (2) a kan pek. USA ka phak hnu ah harsatnak le ngaihchiatnak le lungretheihnak chim awk tha lo in ka tong ko nain, hi kan fale te hi Bawipa nih a kan pekmi an si i, hi hna hi ka ruahchannak, ka thanuamnak, kai lawmhnak le Pathian nih a kan dawtnak le hi vawlei caah thluachuah lianbik a kan pekmi an si tiah ka ruah. 

Psalm 127:3 ah "Fa le hi Bawipa sin in kan hmuhmi ro an si. Thluachuah a kan pekmi an si" tiah a ti bantuk i, hi kan fale hi an zapi tein "Bawipa ro an si. Thluachuah a kan pekmi an si"  caah an sunglawi tuk. Pathian nih damnak le nun khuasau nak pe hna sehlaw, kum tling tein hi vawleicung ah a nungmi si ko hna seh tiah thla ka cam piak zungzal hna. Ca thiam hna sehlaw, dinnak, felnak, zumhtlakmi sinak ngei hna sehlaw, mi nih herhmi, hmanmi, bochanmi, lawmhmi si ko hna seh. Mi tampi caah thadit a huammi le mi tampi caah bawmtu tha si ko hna seh. Mi caah nun a siangmi le lawmhnak a chuahpitu, mi dang caah cite le ceunak bantuk si ko hna seh. An lam ding sehlaw, an nunnak ah, lunglawmhnak le thanuamnak khat ko seh. An unau tafar rual tein ca thiam hna sehlaw, vawlei muihnak chungah arfi bang ceu ko hna seh. Dawtnak, zaangfahnak, siaherhnak, midang zawnruahnak, hnakkar tenhnak le minung hawi a upat i minung hawi dihlak caah a thahnemmi le nun zia dawh in a nung mi si ko hna seh tiah thla za ka campiak hna. 

Nulepa, chungkhar, khuaram miphun, USA ram minung caah le vawleicung hmunkip minung hawi caah eidin awk a tlakmi fanuu fapa si ko hna seh. An unau rual tein aa dawmi le aa bawm hniakmak mi si ko hna seh timi ruahchannak le hi hmanthlak hi ka tar. Hi hmanthlak hna hi, kan fale caah ca i tial lo mi tuanbia an si theu lai timi ruahchannak le zumhnak he ka karmi an si.  

Dayton, Ohio ah 1997 in 2008 tiang kan um. Dayton ah fanu (1) le fapa (3) an chuak. October 4, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio ah kan i thial. Columbus ah fapa (2) le fanu (1) an chuak. An zate (7) an si. Pathian nih Krihfabu ECBC caah riantuan ding in tuanvo a kan pek tiah kan ruah i, kan i lawm ngai. Atu member 400 kuakap kan si. USA i University lianbik pakhat Ohio State University kam teah, ABCOHIO chungtel biakinn a simi University Baptist Church (UBC) kan hlan i, cuka ahcun kan i pum. 

Kan Biakinn UBC Hmai ah

UBC Hmaiah Kan Nu

Kan fa upa cem Hanna Lian le a nu. Hanna Lian cu kum-11 a si

L-R. Elisha, Nathan, Cyrus le Daniel (UBC Biakinn Hmai ah)

Rev. Dr. Hre Kio le innchung nu he (UBC)

CBMC Nubu Pawl (Kan Inn Hmaiah)

CBMC Nubu ka fale nih an thlah lio hna

Fanu Hniang Isabella Angel Lian (DOB 12/6/10)

Inn hmai khuahmuh thei an lawh lio June, 2013

Elisha nih Isabelle theih a tuh lio

Elisha le Isabelle thei an lawh lio

Zei khua an thei ti lo

An i nuam tuk

Gabriel Veltha Lian le a nu

Thau Khawm, Columbus, 2013

Thau Khawm (2013)

Thau Khawm (2013)

Thau Khawm (2013)

Tian ni ah Rev. Dr. C. Duh Kam le khuami cheukhat he

Isabella Angel Lian

Isabella Angel Lian

Isabella Angel Lian

Thau Tlang

         

Location

Thau Tlang (Thau Mountain or Mountain of Thau) is one of the most famous and beautiful peaks in Northern Chin State. It 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.

Ruakhua 

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.

               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.

Today's Thau Khua (Old Village of Thau) The background view is Sangau Village India and the white cloud is from the fog of Tipi River

Flora and Fauna

               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.

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.

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.

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 are building the jeep road from Thangzang to Ruakhua voluntarily. It will soon be opened in the near future and getting to Thau Tlang would be easier.

               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.

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 popular and charming village.

                  

                           

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.

Harvest time. Traditional harvesting system in the Chin State

---

[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

Thau Khua Tuanbia

Sayagyi le Midwife at New Thau Village




Bungtlang Team


Khuahlun

Khuathar Team





Thau Middle School Team
Pu Thla Chum le afale

Rih Lake

Tourism or tourist attraction is unheard of it in the Chin State before because the government of Myanmar never allow tourist to visit the state until until recenly citing security concern but it was not the real case. It is just part of the government close door policy.

The Chin State is unexplore land for foreigners since Burma got independence from British in 1948. General Ne Win's close door policy and isolationism and Myanmar Sosialism totally closed the interation between the foreigners the people in the Chin State for half a century. The military government forbad any foreigners entering the Chin State since 1988 to until recently.

Recently few foreigners such as religious leaders or leaders of nonprofit organization or some workers of UNDP are allowed as tourists. Hikers are allowed also as tourists. The government slowly opened up tourism in the Chin State a year a go to promote tourism in Myanmar to get foreign hard currency.

Here are some tourist attraction in the Chin State. Tourist can visit there with tour guide through tour agency in Mandalay or Yangon.

Rih Lake (Rih Dil)
Rih Lake is near Indian-Myanmar border. It is about 1 miles from the border.  It is one of the most magnificent and beautiful lakes in Myanmar and is the largest lake in the Chin State.  It is about 63 miles from the city of Falam, the old capital of the Chin State and is about 32 miles from the city of Tidim.

The lake is one mile in length and half a mile in width. It is about 3 miles in diameter. The deepest are is about 60 feet in depth. It is a human heart shaped lake and is popular for its color and shape. It is a legendary lake believed to be a passage to the Souls in their eternal abode "Pial-ral" in the Chin tradition . The lake has no inflow and outflow of water. But the water is very clean like a crystal water. People can ride the tour boat. it is pretty cheap. There are many kinds of delicious fish in the lake that tourist can enjoy in the local restaurant.

There is a peculiar story about the lake. In the ancient time there were many elephants and other animals around this area. When the hunters shot thems by gun or arrows they went to the lake and disappeared. Many animals who were wounded disappeared in the lake. They never came out again. So the lake is a mystery lake for the local people. They believe that the lake poses some unusual power. Local people believe that the natural spirit (khuachia/evil spirits) dwell in the lake and they protected the animals.

The British armies got here in the lake 19th century. They were very curious when they heard the story about the lake from the local people. Then they dug the canal to drain all the water from the lake to see what is inside the lake. But as soon as they dug the canal they all got sick severely. They were sick again and again whenever they dug the lake. Finally they gave up digging. People can see the old canel until today that the British army had dug to drain the water out of the lake.



    The new town of Rihkhuadar near the lake


   The burmese army post is in the upper right side


        Some tourist lodges near the lake





The upper left corner is the land of Mizoram, India. The Tio River runs in the middle of the map. The left sife of the Tio River is India and the right side in Myanmar. The Falam-Rih Road come from the lower left corner; the Tidim-Haimual Raoad comes in from the upper right corner

 (Ref. Google Images)

Kum Hlun A Liam

                                           Kum Hlun A Liam

                                    Hlasaru......Pi Sun Par ((Thau)

Ngaihmanh kum hlun an liam lio khi....A lan ko lai tlaih khawh lo in..
Kan nunnak ni relcawk lo hi......Kum nih a liampi cang...

     Nolhna: Na thil timi vialte zong hi...Kum nih a liampi dih
                   Bawipa kan sual palhnak vialte...Nang nih kan ngaithiam ko

Tipi lian nih phaikung afenh....Athlanglei i kalpi ding in
Kan nunnak ni relcawklo zong.....Kum nih a liampi dih

Tupi thinghnah a til dih i......Ahnahno te a corh than bang
Bawipa kan sualnak vialte hi.....Nang nih kan ngaithiam ko

Chinchiah:
Hi hlate hi Mizo hla asi. Kan Krihfabu Kum Thar Ni donnak paoh ah kan sak tawnmi hla asi. Hi hlaphuahtu hi ka hlat len nain ka thei kho rih lo. Hi hla kokek satu cu Mizo hlasakthiam Lal Sang Zuali Sailo a si.