Myanmar – The Golden Land

Myanmar – the “Land of Pagodas”, a paradise to explore, a destination for astute tourists to discover and experience the magical charm of the East in all its colors, flavors and fragrances, in form of rich archeological spots, gorgeous pagodas, prosperity of cultures, colorful festivities and arts. Myanmar is also bestowed with an astounding array of natural wealth, idyllic landscapes, lush green plains, expansive verdant jungles, grand snow-clad mountains, jaw-dropping beaches, fragrant pines and sunflowers doused in bright golden sunlight. But above all are the extremely warm, loving and hospitable Burmese people to know whom you should experience the hospitality at one of the many best hotels in Myanmar and try to learn about this extremely interesting country.

Arts and Crafts

Myanmar is famous for its lovely embroidery. The art has been traditionally practiced in the country since ages. The Burmese sew gold and silver threads together on garments, costumes and dresses for members of the royal family. All this work is done by the artisans by hand and includes traditional figures, patterns and designs. The mixture of light and dark shades of colors is amazing.

Another awesome art is gold leaf work which is a cottage industry existing since the times of ancient Burmese monarchy. Gold leaves are often used to offer to pagodas. The main hub of gold leaf work is Myet-par ward in Mandalay’s Maha Aung Myay Township.

One more splendid art in Myanmar is glass bottle painting. The paintings are done from inside of the bottles, which is unique. The art began in China in the 19^th century. U Nyo Lay was a famous creative artist of this art.

Yangon (Rangoon)

Yangon (Rangoon) the capital is considered as the Garden City of the East and is the entry to Myanmar. The lovely city has a number of superb lakes, serene parks and rich tropical vegetation. The city is also developing as a business center. Some major sites in Yangon are:

Shwedagon Pagoda – The magnificent pagoda on top of the Singuttara Hill is one of the greatest Buddhist pagodas in the country. Originally 8.2 meters high, today it stands only 100 meters after going through many renovations by the Myanmar monarchs. It enshrines a holy hair of Lord Buddha.

Maha Wizaya Pagoda – Built on the Dhammarakkhita Hill, the Maha Wizaya Pagoda faces the Shwedagon Pagoda

Karaweik – Representing the amazing traditional Myanmar architecture, the Karaweik sits surrealistically on the Royal Lake. It depicts the shape of the Indian mythological bird, Karaweik, with a multi-tiered spire on its top.

Mandalay

Mandalay wears the charm of real old Myanmar. The second largest city of the country is famous for its arts, dance, music and drama. Arts like gold and silver thread embroidery, marble carving, wood carving silk thread weaving and ancient tapestry are ever flourishing in Mandalay.

Mandalay Hill – The hard work of climbing 1,700 steps of Mandalay Hill will reward you with an outstanding view of the city, the plains of Ayeyarwady and the misty Shan hills.

Kuthodaw Pagoda – This pagoda is famous for “The World’s Largest Book” it enshrines which is a complete collection of Buddhist Scriptures.

Mandalay Palace – This glorious palace is like a city within the city. It was the residence of King Mindon. Unfortunately what we can see today is an exact replica of the original palace which was destroyed by allied bombing during WWII.

Bagan (Pagan)

Standing majestically on the east bank of River Ayeyarwady, the glorious city of Bagan features 5,000 magnificent and mysterious hollow pagodas and stupas.

Shwezigon Pagoda – This is the most important pagoda in Bagan and was built in 1057 AD by King Anawrahta, the originator of the first Pagan Dynasty.  

Ananda Temple – Ananda Temple is not only the most renowned pagoda of Bagan but also one of the few functional hollow pagodas. It enshrines statues of Lord Buddha and stone sculptures depicting splendid workmanship.

And Myanmar has much more in its magic sac for a connoisseur traveler. This historic wonderland has several colorful bazaars, traditional tribes, classic handicrafts, enchanting festivals, music and dances, and mouthwatering foods all of which make you feel that you have come to a golden land.

So, plan this vacation to Myanmar and embark upon a journey of unending enchantment.