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Tatakamotonga has a government primary school in the northwestern part of the village and a high school run by the
Wesleyan church (Tapunisiliva, eastern branch of Tupou high school) in the northeast. Lapaha has a government primary school and a high school run by the Roman Catholic Church (Takuilau)
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The langi are big, artificial hills surrounded by huge slabs of coral rock, usually in three or more tiered layers. These slabs were quarried from several places along the coast of
Tongatapu or neighbouring minor islands. The waves of the sea made them over the centuries, by compacting coral sand
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Muʻa is situated along the eastern side of the lagoon of
Tongatapu. Except for a 50-to-200-metre-wide (160 to 660 ft) zone along the shore which was once mangrove-ridden swamplands, now largely landfilled with stones, the remainder of the settlement is on high-lying red volcanic soil of high
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into layers of 10 to 20 centimetres (3.9 to 7.9 inches) thick. They were only to be dug out and then transported by boat to the building site. Nevertheless, the accuracy by which the slabs were cut to shape so that they fit along each other with barely any space to spare is remarkable.
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The Tuʻi Tonga and his retinue stayed in Lapaha, his residence being
Olotele and ʻAhofakasiu, while Takuilau was for his wives (not to be confused with the current high school of the same name but further to the east). Subchiefs and servants on the other hand lived in Tatakamotonga.
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Whatever political power the Tuʻi Tonga yielded to their rivals, they gained in spiritual power, and as a kind of high priest they were perhaps even more awesome than as kings. When a Tuʻi Tonga died he was buried in one of the huge tomb hills, known as
187:, chiefs belonging to these lines were not welcome in Muʻa, and had to stay on the low-lying coastal areas, separated from the 'real' chiefs (i.e. those belonging to the Tuʻi Tonga) by the
34:
Map of Lapaha with locations relevant to the Tuʻi Tonga dynasty. All diamonds (except the Fāʻonelua tree and the Futu-ko-Vuna tree and stone) indicate the location of a
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to Tonga is just a myth. ʻUvea is volcanic and has not got the proper geology. This fact has always been known, as shown, for example by a stanza of the poem named
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According to the 1996 census there were 3,900 people living Muʻa, a number expected to rise to 4,900 if confirmed by the
November 2006 census.
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One of the best-preserved langi is the Paepae-o-Teleʻa, which is even more remarkable as the slabs along the corner really have an 'L' shape.
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The langi are still used nowadays as burial sites. When the
Kalaniuvalu chief died in 1999 he was buried in the Paepae o Teleʻa. When the
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The last Tuʻi Tonga, Laufiltonga was buried in langi Tuʻofefafa. Having died as a
Catholic, his grave is still marked with a huge cross.
240:, of which there are still at least two dozen in Lapaha. The Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua were also buried in such tombs, but they are called
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435:. Only the Tuʻi Tonga was allowed to wear its flowers as a garland, and as such the name has become a symbol for his reign.
172:(Tonga kings), up to the nineteenth century, but was rather a spiritual centre and no longer a source of political power.
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The remaining groundworks of an old, deserted fort on the border of
Talasiu and Lapaha are also worthwhile visiting.
416:(picked with sap), referring to the many sweet smelling flowers which were to be picked regularly to be made into
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culture in Tonga (about 2,000 years ago) and later (twelfth to sixteenth century CE) the capital of the
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An important tree with beautiful red flowers grew (and still grows) on the coastal marshland. Its name is
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148:. This has a historical reason: the last Tuʻi Tonga was Roman Catholic and lived in Lapaha.
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chief, ʻUluvalu and his wife
Kaimana died in 2006, they were buried in langi Nā Moala.
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fertility. Muʻa is flanked along the east by high terrain atop of which the village of
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is situated, while immediately bordering the south of Muʻa is the much larger town of
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420:, (flower garlands) for the lords. Likewise Tatakamotonga is also known as
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According to the matāpule
Makalangahiva (variations by other informants)
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38:. Different authorities disagree about the exact identifications, though
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When, around 1470, the Tuʻi Tonga line started to lose power to the
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is a small town in the Hahake (eastern) district on the island of
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The story that the slabs were moved by magic means from
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Langi Nā Moala, after the funeral of the Tuʻipelehake
470:"Ronald Fotofili thrilled to be going to Olympics"
424:(fragrant town) and other variants of this name.
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191:(dry land road). The former became known as the
215:Langi Tuʻofefafa, with a cemetery at its base
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373:Langi Paepae ʻo Teleʻa (or Paepae o Teleʻa)
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195:(low road people) and the latter as the
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262:from around the 18th century by Tufui.
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290:where the cutting of stone was done
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27:Town on the island of Tongatapu
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431:and it is a unique species of
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468:Gee, Eleanor (13 July 2021).
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276:mo e ʻotu langi fua ʻo Muʻa
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268:Ko e Pangaimotu mo Makahaʻa
69:and famous for the ancient
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558:Capitals of former nations
412:The nickname of Lapaha is
270:tuʻu mai ʻa e motu ko Fafā
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136:Most people of Lapaha are
553:Populated places in Tonga
447:, Olympic sprinter from
328:Langi Fanakava ki langi
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274:ʻo uta ki Langi Taetaea
529:21.17917°S 175.11667°W
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73:(royal burial tombs).
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534:-21.17917; -175.11667
388:Langi Nakuli ki langi
355:Langi Nukulau ʻuluaki
272:naʻe fai ai e tā maka
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382:Langi ʻEsi ʻa e kona
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397:Fale Tui(nga)papai
334:Langi Tau ʻa tonga
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113:. You can help by
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501:Tongan placenames
385:Langi Malomaloaʻa
331:Langi Tuʻo fefafa
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181:Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua
166:Tuʻi Tonga Empire
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55:Tuʻi Tonga Empire
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364:Langi Hahake
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283:and Makahaʻa
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394:Fale Fakauō
379:Langi Hēhēa
361:Langi Foʻou
343:Langi Sinai
325:Langi Kātoa
197:kauhalaʻuta
193:kauhalalalo
547:Categories
520:175°07′0″W
517:21°10′45″S
455:References
422:Kolokakala
340:Langi Leka
281:Pangaimotu
203:in Tonga.
170:Tuʻi Tonga
94:Demography
563:Tongatapu
429:Fāʻonelua
408:Fāʻonelua
244:instead.
77:Geography
47:Tongatapu
433:mangrove
201:moieties
142:Wesleyan
138:Catholic
122:May 2008
260:Laveofo
156:History
146:Mormons
67:Talasiu
53:of the
51:capital
507:, 1923
503:, BPB
449:Lapaha
162:Lapita
84:Lapaha
59:Lapaha
481:6 May
418:kahoa
256:ʻUvea
238:langi
71:langi
36:langi
483:2022
314:List
287:Fafā
242:fale
61:and
43:Muʻa
505:111
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