N 128  What I remember of old Kunhing….

My ancestors were originally not from Kunhing, but from Kehsi Mansam. My grandfather’s name was Loong Wisainda and my grandmother Daw Shwe Mya. She had a Burmese name because her father was Bo Tat Ye  U Thar Pe (ဗိုလ်တပ်ရဲ ဦးသာဖဲ ) a Burmese, and an army officer of the  Burmese King . They came to live in Kunhing because  he was appointed Haing (  headman ) when his youngest sister Nang Perng became mahadevi of Merng Nawng.Although Kunhing was small the haing   had full power over his territory and Kunhing then was a small village. A group of houses here, a group there made a village called Kunhing. My grandparents house was on a place called Kun Nar on the east bank of Nampang stream . I imagined that their house would be a large house made of timber, bamboo and thatch. But this house had seen many important incidents and people.In a small village where there was not a bungalow or rest house ,for prominent people the headman’s house would surely become their sanctuary for their stay.

The Sawbwa of Merng Nawng had often been a guest in this house as he was married to my mother ( she didn’t become a Mahadevi, as she was not a Sawbwa’s daughter,but actually the Sawbwa didn’t have a Mahadevi) . When prime minister U Nu came to this house ,he first went to pay homage to the Buddha statues at the altar. I was born on a September day 1945, when the Japanese army left the country and British army came back. On that night the house was full of British soldiers led by a colonel Leech (not sure of the spelling ) After I was born they showered  my mother with gifts,which  definitely would be milk powder, clothings, medicine and  other foods.Another  incident on that night was that they found a black snake on a beam under the roof , which was caught and killed by servicemen of the household.

The most significant visitor of this house might be the English author Morris Collis. He wrote about his staying at this house in his book " Lords of the Sunset " .He met my mother , whom he mistook her name with one of her cousins "Kyar Nu " He also met the Merng Nawng Sawbwa here. Looked like he didn't introduce my mother to Mr Collis as his wife, but understantably they were Shan people ,not English.The next day for his journey to Kengtung ,the Sawbwa and my mother even accompany him to Takaw where they had to cross the Salween River by ferry again.

              

Not very far from my grandparents house  there are two medium sized pagodas. They were Siamese style pagodas and were said to be built by troops who went to war to Siam. There are no history about them and were not in good shape. My grandparents renovated one and  my family restore the other one while we were living in Kunhing before 1990. The monastery where villagers worship was on a hill at the east of my granparents house.I remember that the monks resided there used Yoon Shan language prayers when reciting.

After my grandparents passed away,my aunt and her husband became haing.Gradually the west bank grew and more people came to live there.Later the haing position also changed hands to Haing Sang who was said to build a market there .The village continued growing until it reached its status as a township with a hospital, a middle school,police station and all facilities of a township.