The Zwekabin: Mountain of Sorrow
Once upon a time, there was a family of a mother and her two children-a daughter and a son. She was a widow because her husband was killed by a tiger when he went to the wood. As you all can guess that she found difficulties to earn a living with her children as a woman so that she married a man in her village. However, that man was an irresponsible and cruel man who beat his wife and his two step-children whenever he got drunk. One day, that man tried to rape his step-daughter while her mother wasn’t at home. Fortunately, her brother saw that and he attacked to his step-father. Then, he ran away from home to the Zwekabin Mountain with his sister. On their way, they found a tiger like their father did. Therefore, they had to run harder. In short, they slipped at one way of the mountain-side and fell down to the bottom of it. Those innocent siblings ended up their life badly but the people around that mountain believe that the two pictures on the wall of the mountain represent that two siblings and they take care of mountain climbers as god and goddess not to fall down.
Choice of Mountain Lovers and Tourists
Zwekabin Mountain is around 8000ft tall from the sea level. Both young and old from all over the country come and give a try to reach at the top that mountain and it is not because it is not high enough for everyone to reach at the top but it only matters on the passion and tenacity of the hikers. Of course, there are some young men who give up on the middle of the way and there are some kids and elders who reach at the top. The beginning of the ladders of it is so upright at first but at the middle, the mountain passes are smooth to continue. The ladders near the top become stiff again and so hot again as there where less trees there. We can even say that there are the same ratio of the local climbers and tourist because it is on the top list of tourist choice of Kayin State.
Tips to Reach at the Top
To be able to reach at the top, you don’t need to be so stressed about it as it is the one you can climb with any practice. It is located on the south part of the town. As it takes only 45 minutes motorbike ride to reach at the foot of the mountain from the downtown, I would like to recommend you to leave your hotel at 4:45 am so that you can reach that mountain at 5:30am. Getting up early is tired but you will be exhausted when you have to climb under the sun. Another purpose of recommending climbing early is that I want you to see the sunrise when you reach the middle of that mountain approximately at 7:00am. You can see wildlife of giant birds and monkey as they wake up very early in the morning and I’m not sure you can see them at noon. I am sure that moment could make you feel worthwhile to climb that mountain. At the top, you can see beautiful scenery of Hpa-an Township, other mountains near it and domestic Buddhist pilgrims to the shrine. It takes approximately for 5 hours to climb up and down. It is too much for some people but I would like to say not to worry about it as I was at the top with 170lb and it is all about the desire.
Tips to Avoid
In rainy season, it rains heavily 24/7 in Hpa-an town. So, it is dangerous to travel around and climb that mountain as it is slippery on the way. Sometimes, it is flooded when the water from Thanlwin river rises which flow through the town and finally into the sea. If you are not there for enjoying festivals, don’t go the Zwekabin Mountain festival which is celebrated in spring as there are a lot of crowed people climbing to that mountain. This is also the season when we heard a lot of accident there. On the way to the top, one of the mountain pass is called “Ko Yin Laint Kya Sa Khan” which is the place where a young monk slipped and fell down from the mountain so that you should take care of yourself not to fall when you reach there.
Focus of Environmental Lovers
At the end of 2016, Miss International Myanmar Organization, MIM 2015 Emerald Nyein and her fans did a project and came to that mountain for collecting the trash including plastic, water bottle and other waste products for recycling purposes. As this mountain is the face of Kayin State, Myanmar, other Charity Organizations and environmental activists also activate their activities on that mountain for eco-tourism. So, as a visitor or traveler, please keep in mind that you also have responsibility to maintain that mountain like the local people as we all live in the same earth.
A Recent Sad Story
I had read an article of The Irrawaddy Blog about a Frenchman committed a suicide by jumping down from shrine which is at the top of the mountain. I was at Yangon studying for final examination so that I just listen that event through social media. His girlfriend came to that mountain and I heard that he did that because of some conflicts in his relationship. Zwekabin Mountain a lot of sad stories in its history so that it is called mountain of sorrow filled with love, hate, sentimentality, desire and natural beauty.