Pyapon

Pyapon (ဖျာပုံမြို့; ဖျာပုၚ်, ) is a town and seat of Pyapon District as well as Pyapon Township in the Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar, along the Pyapon River, a distributary of the Ayeyarwady River. It is located about 15 km inland from the Andaman Sea, about 75 mi south of the previous capital, Yangon. It has a population of approximately 65,601 in 2021. It serves as a center for collecting rice from the surrounding agricultural areas, and is home to a diesel-run power plant, using equipment by the German firm Siemens.

The natural beauty of Pyapon attracts tourists to cruise nearby backwaters where nearby mangroves are home to birds, crocodiles and, occasionally, dolphins.

History
The city's name is believed to derive from the Mon name, MY ဖျာပုၚ်, which literally translates to "rice market." The Mon were the first to settle the city on the Pyapon River, choosing the furthest inland a ship could travel on low tide. In 1782, Badon Min declared Pyapon as a town. The modern city of Pyapon was formally elevated to city status in 1972.

In the early 20th century, Pyapon reclaimed alluvial marshlands for rice cultivation, attracting a large number of settlers.

Culture
Since 1878, Pyapon's theatrical troupe has hosted annual performances of the Yama Zatdaw, Myanmar's adaptation of the Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic.

Notable people

 * San Hlaing, artist