Myanmar
Posted in Myanmar on August 15th, 1999 by daveliu
As thoroughly steeped in political controversy as it is in a rich and varied past, Myanmar provided a truly unique travel experience. The country has been a virtual hermit state since the 1960s and as the rest of Southeast Asia has experienced the most dramatic economic growth in world history, Myanmar, once the region’s richest country, has joined the ranks of the world’s destitute. The country’s military regime has bucked the trend towards greater political and social liberalization, reneging on democratic elections and crushing the pro-democracy movement.
Despite these political issues, Myanmar offered a rich panoply of golden stupas, landmark temples, ancient monuments, picturesque lakes and unspoiled mountain scenery. There were so many memorable experiences including the myriad pagodas of Bagan studding a vast plain by the Irrawaddy River, crimson-robed novices chanting by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, and everywhere the gentle, generous and long-suffering people.
YANGON (formerly RANGOON)
Streets of Yangon Upon arriving in Yangon, we were greeted by tree-lined avenues, fine Victorian architecture, bustling markets and picturesque waterfront. We saw pagodas and vintage World War Two buses everywhere amongst the local people who were dressed in sarongs and had their faces covered with tree bark cream. We were told that the cream is used to reduce oiliness and acne in the skin. Apparently everyone we met believed it because everyone was wearing it.
City Streets Lined With Pagodas and Temples
Victorian-Style Buildings From WWII
Dilapidated Buildings Are the Norm in Yangon
Local Family With Traditional Wear and FaceCream
Sule Pagoda
This pagoda located smack in the center of the city is reputed to date back over 2,000 years. It enshrines a hair relic of the Buddha brought over by two missionaries from India and presented to Dagon minister Maha Sura. Its name means “the pagoda enshrining the sacred hair.” Its octagonal shape architecturally thematizes the eight planetary posts of the Myanmar zodiac. Among the many sights, there are numerous monks paying homage, shrines designed in “amusement park” form, golden Buddha statues and a giant golden stupa.
Golden Stupa at Sule Pagoda
Golden Buddha
Novice Monks, A Common Site in Southeast Asia
“Amusement Park” Style Buddha Altar
Shwedagon Pagoda
This amazing shrine has 8,600 one-ounce slabs of gold used to tile the stupa and thousands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones that sparkle in the rays of the sun. The compound is covered with hundreds of images, statues, and endless processions of bare-footed worshippers all paying their respects.
This is the most sacred structure in Myanmar and the marquis attraction of Yangon. According to legend, Taphussa and Bhallika, two traders hailing from Okkala (Yangon’s old name), traveled to India on business some 2,500 years ago. They encountered Gautama Buddha perched under the bodhi tree 49 days after gaining Enlightenment. Noting the halo of six vibrant rays surrounding him, they held him in veneration and made offerings of rice cakes and honey. The Buddha, in return, conveyed his mastery of the Law in a sermon. Granting their request for an object of worship, he stroked his right hand through his hair yielding eight hairs. When the two men returned home, King Okkalapa ordered the enshrinement of the hairs, along with relics from the three preceding Buddhas, in a pagoda on Singuttara Hill. The male nat Sakka delivered from heaven six marble slabs of silver, diamond, emerald, pearl, sapphire, and ruby for creation of a relic chamber. This chamber was filled knee deep with a sea of precious stones, and a boat carrying the sacred relics and more gems was placed afloat; Sakka himself sealed the chamber with the ruby slab. Over the ruby slab, builders constructed a Russian doll-like sequence of superimposed pagodas made successively of gold, silver, tin, copper, lead, marble, and iron, and sealed with lime, glue, mortar, and plaster. They then studded the pagoda with jewels. While the original structure measured only 22m, Shwedagon presently stands at a remarkable 109m, having survived countless restorations and embellishments.
Shwedagon Pagoda Covered in Gold Leaf
Pilgrims Pouring Cups of Water (Number Corresponding To Age) On Heads of Buddha Statues at Eight Equally Spaced Planetary Post Shrines
Mammoth Bells Carrying The Wishes of Pilgrims in their Resounding Hums
Surrounded in the Splendor of Shwedagon
A Few of the 64 Minature Pagodas Located in the 46 Hectare Pagoda Terrace
One of Many Novice Monks Paying Homage
Kyaukhatgyi Pagoda
This pagoda literally means “six story pagoda”. It contains an enormous 70m long reclining Buddha and has very ornate footprints that contain the distinguishing marks of Buddha. Kyaukhatgyi also lends its namesake to a famous monastery attached to the pagoda. Over 600 monks study Buddhist scriptures and the Pali language and literatures.
Giant Reclining Buddha
Buddha Footprints With His Distinguishing Marks
Propaganda / Political Environment
Since 1962, Myanmar has been governed by a brutal military regime. Although there have been resistance movements and pro-democracy demonstrations, these initiatives have generally been swiftly crushed by the military government. Even in 1990, when democratic elections were held and the National League for Democracy (NLD) won almost 90% of the vote, the military rounded up all of the leaders and placed them under house arrest. Needless to say, the regime has little care for the views of its people.
During our excursions in Yangon, we actually tried to visit the house of the leader of the NLD, Aung San Suu Kyi. Upon arriving at the street where her house was located, we were surrounded by plain clothes policemen and asked to leave. Although they did not threaten us, they scared the #%$@! out of our cab driver who was told never to bring anyone else there if he wanted to live a happy and fruitful life.
Plenty of Propaganda in the Streets and Local Newspaper (”The New Light of Myanmar”)
Poem in the Newspaper Obviously Targeted Against Pro-Democracy Leader, Aung San Suu Kyi
MANDALAY
Mandalay Hill
We traveled by minibus to Mandalay Hill, a hill that rises 236m above the northeast corner of town and gives you a great views of the city. Covered stairways work their way up the south and west faces of the sacred hill; climbing the 700+ stairs took us about 30 minutes. The series of temples leading to teh summit seem a bit newfangled and lacking in direction, with the exception of the Shweyattaw image close to the top. Here, the statue of Gautama Buddha points prophetically to the site of the Royal Palace. Aside from the views, there are crazy fortune tellers and friendly children waiting for you at the top.
Shweyattaw Image Points To Mandalay City
Playful Burmese Children At The Summit
Ayerwaddy River
We spent a full day on the Ayerwaddy River and enjoyed some interesting scenes: women pounding their laundry on rocks, people sailing bamboo rafts, travelers and merchants bartering at stops along the river, villagers begging for money or food, fisherman catching dinner, and even a dead body floating in the water.
The last sight was completely unexpected by our group. Perhaps even more shocking than the notion of a corpse floating down the river was the fact that the captain of the ferry did not stop (or blink an eyelid for that matter). One can only postulate how the man died or what else goes on in a country where death under mysterious circumstances is better left unquestioned.
The Banks of the River - Looks Like A Flooded City in the Midwest?
Local Villagers Waving Mingalaba (Hello)
Local Ferry Stop Complete With Merchants
Impromptu Ferry Stop Created To Let A Military VIP Disembark in the Middle of Nowhere
Fishermen Along The Ayerwaddy
BAGAN (formerly PAGAN)
“The City of Four Million Pagodas”
Dubbed the city of four million pagodas, Bagan is the unquestioned cradle of Myanmar culture. No trip is complete to Myanmar without a trip to the Bagan Archaeological Zone, a 42 square kilometer sun drenched plain with no fewer than 4216 extant temples, pagodas, and other religious edifices.
While little is known about its founding, reputed to date to the 9th century, scholars agree that the two and a half centuries following King Anawrahta’s ascension to the throne in 1044 mark the pinnacle of Bagan’s splendor. Dissatisfied with the repertories of religious practices predominant among his people, mainly a mix of Mahayana Buddhism and indigenous animism, Anawrahta single-handedly launched a full-scale rejuvenation of Theravada Buddhism, leading to its establishment as a national religion. He also inaugurated a wild flurry of temple construction, convincing architects, masons, artists, and carvers to settle in Bagan. While time has seen the destruction of the region’s wooden structures, its stalwart brick edifices give a stirring testimony to a civilization whose prolific contributions to humankind may never be surpassed.
Ananda Temple
Built around the turn of the 12th century, Anandais said to represent the pinnacle of the early style of Bagan period design. With its four enormous gabled entrances leading to a 53m high square block at the center of the termple, it resembles a perfectly symmetrical Greek Cross. On each side of the central square block is an alcove housing Buddha images standing 10m high. With no shortage of donations, Ananda Temple enjoys fresh coats of white paint and copious attachments of gold leaf quite regularly.
Thatbyinnyu Temple
Built in 1144 by King Alaungsithu, is the highest structure in the vicinity. It resembles two gargantuan white stacked cubes, with the upper one set back above three intermediate terraces. Its intricate architecture is representative of the transition from early to late Bagan styles.
Dhammayangyi Temple
This is one of the most massive temples on the entire Bagan plain. Its unsurpassed brickwork, considered a crowning achievement of later period temples, flaunts virtually airtight gaps between individual bricks.
Novices Seeking Alms Daily Alms Ritual
As part of their daily life, monks and novices seek donations from the local community around Bagan. Because monks are not beggars, they do not ask for donations outright.
Rather they line up in a morning procession with bowls extended and march from their monastery to the city and back - never stopping once. Locals and tourists alike place donations in the bowl while the procession is in motion. The entire morning walk takes about 2 hours and is done every day.
Mount Popa / Nat Temple
Mount Popa arose from the ground following a colossal earthquake in 442 BC. It is the center of Nat worship, a religion based on the worship of a plethora of gods each with human tendencies, and home of the Mingalazedi Pagoda. Its about a one and a half hour drive from Bagan through farms filled with rice, palm trees and moonshine!! To reach the top its quite a hike and you have to go through armies of monkeys, many of which are harmless. Even though Buddha has been incorporated into the Nat religion as the supreme being, the temple is sufficiently different to justify a visit. One word of advice - don’t annoy the monkeys!
Local Pharmacy - See Any Tylenol?
Nat Altar
Monkeys Seeking Bananas
Palm Moonshine Is Definitely a Keeper!
Local Children Heading To School
Our Companion, Bill Blair, Making an Offering to the Nats
