LAWNGTLANG VILLAGE
The Lawngtlang village is the western most village in Zophei territory in Thantlang Township, Chin State, Myanmar. It has 75 houses and about 300 population in the village. Khuabung village is in its east and Lungcuaite village is in its west and Ngalang village is in its south and Ngaiphaite village is in its north. Lungcuaipi village is in its northeast and Zephai village is in its southeast. The village sits under Arthahnak Bo mountain and Sanghnin mountain range faces to its east and the Mangki lungpung mountain range faces to its southeast. Lawngtlang has its original combinated two separate words Lawng and tlang. Lawng means empty and tlang means mountain. The meaning of Lawngtlang is empty mountain. Therefore, the village Lawngtlang is located on the top of mountain.
The Khuabung landlord Pacik had sent Mr. Bual Nawn, Mr. Zung Mawng and Mr. Hnawm Cin to establish a small village and to extend his territory to the west of Khuabung village. The three men found a place to settle in Saisi which was about 18 miles away from Khuabung village. Saisi had good soil and many wild animals were found there. Saisi currently belongs to the Mara people Fatlau village, Lakher District. The three men were uncomfortable with the place for because of they felt that they were very far away from their Landlord Mr. Pacik. Therefore, they moved back to the place Ramzikhua which was about a mile away from the current Lawngtlang village. They stayed there for three years and due to having difficult water, they finally found a place where they had sufficient water and good whether current Lawngtlang village. In 1894, when they started settling down in this place there were seven families. The names of seven men were as follows: Mr. Bual Nawn, Mr. Zung Mawng, Mr. Hnawm Cin, Mr. Tum Khar, Mr. Cuai Kham, Mr. Van Um and Mr. Ceu Hmung. Mr. Za Kio and Mr. Do Hup from Khuabung joined with them soon after they moved to the current Lawngtlang village and therefore they became 9 families when they started settling down in Lawngtlang village. Mr. Za Kio was a hunter and possessed a gun.
There was a great famine for seven years in their new village. Mr. Za Kio who was a hunter, had killed two Rynos in their village during in a seven-year great famine. They survived through the meat of two Rynos for many months. This was one of the most significant milestones in the history of the village. Due to the great famine, their Landlord Mr. Pa Cik asked them to return to Khuabung. However, they all refused to go back to Khuabubng. They all had a meeting and during in the meeting, Mrs. Khuang Ngen the wife of Mr. Van Um suggested them get some advice from Mr. Mang Hlei, the landlord in Ngaiphaipi village. They all accepted Mrs. Khuang Ngen’s suggestion, and they sent Mr. Za Kio and Mr. Do Nawn to Ngaiphaipi village. Mr. Mang Hlei suggested to them to pick one stone from Parang stream and erect in the center of the village and sacrifice with a red rooster. They did according to Mr. Mang Hlei’s suggestion, and their fields produces fruits plentifully started from that year. The Lawngtlang village has existed ever since. The territory of Lawngtlang is the smallest and narrowest in Zophei community.
