Hinthada

Hinthada (; formerly Henzada) is a town located on the Irrawaddy River in Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. It is the principal town of Hinthada Township and Hinthada District. The trade of locally grown rice and grain goes through the port of Hinthada.

==Etymology and History== Historically, Hinthada was occupied by the Mon people, and was part of the Bagan Empire. According to local histories, the town was founded by Sithu I of Bagan who rested there on a trip up the Irrawaddy River. While building a temporary palace, his male hintha bird (a quasi-legendary species of goose or swan) passed away- causing him to name the area (Hintha-ta; lit. yearn for hintha). An alternative folk etymology says it was actually Sithu IV, who stopped in the area while fleeing the first Mongol invasion of Burma. Because he found the area lacking in food for his feast and called it ဟင်းလျာတ (hin-lya-ta; lit. yearn for entrees), which later morphed into Hinthada. The last folk etymology comes from the Mon language name for the danone palm, which grew in abundance in the area. In Mon, the palm is called Henzada and is the most likely origin for the town's name.