
The Mon, a distinctive branch of the
Mon-Khmer peoples, were probably the earliest of modern day inhabitants
to settle in the plains of Myanmar . They soon established themselves as
the most cultured people in Southeast Asia , as their art and
architecture clearly show.
The Mon brought both Buddhism and
writing to Myanmar and traded with India as early as the dawn of the
Christian era. The earliest Mon writings date from the 5 th century AD,
and they are believed to have founded the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda
in Yangon , originally a Mon settlement. For a thousand years, until the
fall of Bago in 1757, the Mon ruled much of Lower Myanmar from their
great cities at Thaton, Mottama and Bago.
The Mon were once the dominant group
in the region, but now most have adopted Bamar dress and customs,
although their distinctive red longyis are still popular for both men
and women. Traditional Mon language and culture now survives mostly in
rural areas and the south-east borderlands.
Mon State is home to the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, an extraordinary golden rock perched precariously on a mountain outcrop.
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