Shan State
The capital state of Shan is Taungyi City. The Shan State was founded during the Pagan Kingdom. The Shan people prefer calling their land as 'Muang Tai', and they fondly go by the names of Tai or Dai instead of Shan. The Thais mostly call them 'Tai Yai', or 'big Thai'. The second largest ethnic residing in Shan is the Wa people. The mountainous landscape coupled with the Thanlwin River that flows through the state provides a breathtaking view of the state. Shan is also known to house many beautiful caves that tourists would not want to miss.
Origin
The Shan people consist of various ethnics like Wa, Pa-O, Palaung, Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Kokang and Intha. Some of the religions practised are Buddhishm, Christianity, Animism, Islam, and Hinduism. The locals speak Myanmarese and Shan, a language that resembles the Thai language.
Geography
Shan State is mostly hilly and the climate is cold and tropical with a state size of 155,801 km². It is bordered by China, Laos and Thailand.
Interesting Facts
As the state derived its name from the Shan people, self-administration areas can be found in Shan. Coming into 2014, the state’s population is at 5.824 million people.
