| Kengtung Palace | |
|---|---|
ကျိုင်းတုံဟော် | |
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | Kengtung,Shan State,Myanmar |
| Coordinates | 21°17′28″N99°36′04″E / 21.291°N 99.601°E /21.291; 99.601 |
| Construction started | 1903 |
| Construction stopped | 1906 |
| Demolished | 1991 |
Kengtung Palace, also known as theKengtung Haw (Shan:ႁေႃလူင်ၵဵင်းတုင်) orKyaingtong Haw (Burmese:ကျိုင်းတုံဟော်), was the former residence of the ruler ofKengtung State, a principality in modern-dayMyanmar (Burma). Built in 1906, the palace was demolished by theBurmese military on 9 November 1991.[1]
Kengtung State was the largest Shan state by 1886 and ranked first in order of precedence. Its eastern borders were demarcated after the British conquest ofUpper Burma and theShan States.[2]
The palace was built between 1903 and 1906 as the residence of thesaopha, blending traditional Shan and Burmese architecture with European and Indian influences, including the use of twominarets that flanked the palace's front facade.[3][4][5] The palace's design was inspired bySao Kawng Kiao Intaleng's attendance at theDelhi Durbar in 1903.[6]
Kengtung Palace was occupied by Sao Kawng Kiao's family until 1959, when his grandson, Sao Sai Long, handed the palace over to the Shan State government.[3] Following the1962 Burmese coup d'état, the palace was used as a government office.[6]
Despite local opposition, the Burmese military demolished the palace on 9 November 1991, and built hotels in its place, in preparation to host a national tourism campaign called Visit Myanmar Year.[4][1][7] The hotel was completed in 1996.[3] As of February 2022, the hotel was owned byAung Myo Min Din, a close associate ofMin Aung Hlaing.[8]
In 2017, locals formed the Kengtung Palace Restoration Committee, with the goal of rebuilding a replica of the palace.[6] In 2019, the group petitioned the Burmese national government to return the land to the local community.[5][1]
In the aftermath of the2021 Myanmar coup d'état, theState Administration Council announced it would build a replica of Kengtung Palace on the grounds of an old skating rink near Naungtung Lake in Kengtung.[9] Construction began on 26 June 2022.[9] The new palace was inaugurated on 12 May 2024.[10]
Royal palaces and residences in Myanmar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Existing |  | |
| Historical | ||
