The Map of Mon State

The Mon people and their heritage

The Mon are an ethnic group believed to have originated in China and settled in northern Myanmar as early as the third century B.C. They later spread toward the Chao Phraya River basin in present-day Thailand.

The Mon remained politically independent until 1757, when they were defeated by the Burmese. They are regarded as some of the earliest people of Indochina, founders of early civilizations in the region, and important contributors to the spread of Theravada Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia.