Attractions in Pyin OO Lwin

Established by the British as a retreat from soaring summer temperatures the small town of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) still retains a much anglicised feel.

The colonial presence in the town can be traced back to the end of the 19th Century when the British arrived after capturing Mandalay at the conclusion of the Third Burmese War. The town was renamed Maymyo (May Town) after Colonal May, the commander of the post and a veteran of the Indian Mutiny. In 1896 a permanent military post was established in the town and it later became a hill station and the summer residence of the British Government in Burma due to its cooler temperatures.

During British rule Pyin Oo Lwin was also an important educational centre with the Government English High Schools such as St. Albert's, St. Joseph's Convent, St. Mary's, St. Michael's and Colgate all based here. Maymyo was renamed to Pyin Oo Lwin in 1989 when the government abandoned colonial titles to the original Burma names before British rule.