Bhamo is a city of Kachin State

Kachin State

Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...

 in northernmost part of Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina

Myitkyina

Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...

. It is on the Ayeyarwady River

Ayeyarwady River

The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...

. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. The population consists of Chinese

Burmese Chinese

The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...

 and Shan, with Kachin

Kachin people

The Kachin people are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than half of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians - while a significant minority follow Buddhism and some also adhere...

 peoples in the hills around the town. It is the administrative center of Bhamo District

Bhamo District

Bhamo District is a district of the Kachin State in northern Burma . The capital is the city of Bhamo. The district covers an area of 10,742.9 sq.km...

 and Bhamo Township

Bhamo Township

Bhamo Township is a township of Bhamo District in the Kachin State of Burma. The principal town is Bhamo.-Towns and villages:*Asin*Aw-ka-tha*Awngsa*Bansak*Bhamo*Bodewa*Budaung*Chiri...

.

History

Bhamo was an important trading post with the Chinese Empire up to the nineteenth century, when copper coins from China flowed into Burma via Bhamo. VOC

Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...

 (United Dutch East India Company) records identified these copper coins as an important source of profit, and also mention the presence of a Customs Office in Bhamo to regulate the border trade. As of 1935 the town was situated at the highest navigable point of the river, and was the terminus of caravan

Caravan (travellers)

A caravan is a group of people traveling together, often on a trade expedition. Caravans were used mainly in desert areas and throughout the Silk Road, where traveling in groups aided in defence against bandits as well as helped to improve economies of scale in trade.In historical times, caravans...

 routes from India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and Burma, by which jade

Jade

Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...

, in particular, was brought into China.

Bhamo was once called Sampanago, the capital of the now-extinct Shan kingdom of Manmaw. The ruins of the old city walls, dating from the fifth Century, are found some 5 km from the modern town.

Contemporary

A once weekly Myanma Airways

Myanma Airways

Myanma Airways Corporation is the national flag carrier and state-owned airline of Myanmar, based in Yangon. It operates scheduled services to all major domestic destinations. Its main base is Yangon International Airport.- History :...

 flight is available, as are three times a week river ferries. It is the terminus of river ferries from Mandalay. There is no river ferry between Bhamo and Myitkyina. The land route between Bhamo and Muse, part of Northern Shan State, is in bad condition.

Bhamo is one of the official border trading towns between China and Myanmar.

The town is home to Bhamo Degree College.

Literature

• 17th Century Burma and the Dutch East Indies Company 1634-1680, by Wil O. Dijk, NIAS Press

• • This may be out of date or biased to the timeframe of that reference.