Long time coming
Yangon, the window to Myanmar, points to a country slowly opening up to tourists after long years of isolation
Published: 19/08/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
On a recent trip to Myanmar’s former capital, Yangon, I was mesmerised by the religious fervour with which the locals follow their Buddhist faith.
Years of political strife and natural disasters haven’t dampened their spirit and trust in Buddha’s teachings. A clear indication of this was the constant flow of young and old worshippers making their way to pray at temples and pagodas and offer what little they could afford as a token of their faith.
As a visiting tourist, I found this practice commendable in this day and age where being religious is considered unfashionable.
In recent years Thai pilgrims have been visiting Myanmar in large numbers. Wilai, one amongst a growing number of Burmese tour guides who speaks fluent Thai, told me that centuries-old pagodas like the Yele Paya perched on a tiny island in the middle of a river in the backwater town of Thanlyin are popular with visitors from Thailand. Another favourite is the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda in the heart of Yangon, formerly Rangoon.
On our first day in the city, as our coach weaved its way past potholed roads through heavy morning traffic, I spotted new buildings, mostly hotels and serviced apartments, constructed to house tourists and its growing expatriate community.
Yele Paya, about 30 minutes drive from Yangon, sits on a spit of land at the confluence of the Bago and Yangon rivers. To reach it you have to catch one of the many ferries that dock by the banks of the picturesque Thanlyin, formerly known as Syriam, a trading port town. The pagoda dates over 2,000 years. Originally three metres tall, in 1940 it was raised to 16 metres. Its pavilion houses a marble Buddha statue noted for its benevolence and granting the wishes of worshippers calling in seeking good health and success. One of the most outstanding features about this island pagoda is that it has never been submerged no matter how high the flood water. Most visitors enjoy feeding catfish congregating near the staircase leading up to the pagoda from the water.
Having been isolated and ostracised by most of the international community due to its iron-fisted military rule, the country seems to be cautiously opening its doors to foreign tourists.
Downtown Yangon there were chaotic scenes of people and traffic moving in every direction. Pedestrians clogged footpaths and traffic moved at snail’s pace, but the people at large seemed relaxed, in no particular hurry.
Going to the temple is not a duty but rather a way of life for the Burmese people, noted our guide, as we peered from the window of our bus watching the locals purchase offerings of coconut, bananas and flowers for statues housed in pagodas dotting the city’s perimeter. Apart from praying, temples are also where young couples go on dates and for family picnics. Visiting them, remember that shoes and socks are not allowed from the entrance of the temple onwards. A pair of flip-flops would be more convenient.
During the tour we also visited Bago town, over an hour’s drive from Yangon where the Kyaik Pun Paya Temple, noted for its four-faced Buddha statue, is located. Ten minutes away is the Shwethalyaung and its magnificent Reclining Buddha. Also not to be missed is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda that has the tallest stupa.
To explore this enchanting city’s back lanes, check out communities around the pagodas. For not only will you be able to discover local culinary delights there, but also experience the warmth and friendliness of the locals.
Burmese women apply this yellowish-white cosmetic paste extracted from the thanaka tree (Murraya exotica) to enliven their faces and improve the texture of skin. To support their families, many children sell souvenirs at tourist attractions and restaurants.
Not to be missed _ amidst the hustle and bustle of Yangon _ is its colourful colonial past which is well preserved in the old buildings dotting the inner city areas.
Yangon has a population of approximately four million, the majority of them Buddhists, and a fair sprinkling of churches and mosques all around the city.
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Tourists are offered a wide selection of accommodation. Some of them, like the Chatrium Hotel Yangon (http://www.chatriumhotelyangon.com), are Thai-owned. Metered taxis are the best mode of transport in the city.
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Yangon experiences daily power cuts as electricity is rationed. Most of the city is reliant on diesel-powered generators. Also, roaming service for mobile phone users is inadequate.
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The best time to visit Yangon is during the cool season which runs November to January when the climate is pleasant.
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Air Asia offers two daily flights, morning and evening. For more information, visit http://www.airasia.com or call 02-515-9999.
Situated amidst lush and rugged countryside, the Kyaik Pun Paya Temple was built in 1476 by Mon king Dhamma Zedi. It has four Buddha statues sitting back to back on each other around an enormous square pillar, their gaze and presence never failing to captivate the attention of visitors. Each statue is approximately 30 metres tall, bedecked with pieces of mosaic on finger nails and fringes of their robes. One of the statues destroyed in the 1930 earthquake has been repaired to its former glory.
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The Shwethalyaung, or the Reclining Buddha, in Bago was built from brick and stucco in 994 by Migadippa, a Mon king. Fifty-five metres long and 16 metres high, it is not exactly huge but one of the oldest and artistically rendered. After years in neglect, it was found by an Indian labourer in 1881 working on a railway line the British were building. Since then it has been through several restorations. The current shrine was built in 1903 to shelter the Buddha statue. Later renovations led to the addition of mosaic, a huge pillow for the Buddha to rest his head, and Italian marble. Today, a shopping complex has sprung up around the statue drawing in vendors who flog their wares at the temple’s entrance.
People come to pray here for a host of reasons, the most popular of which is finding a life partner. White flowers are a popular offering to these statues.
Residents living in communities around Kyaik Pun Paya have a ready smile for tourists. I found this amiable lady vendor plying everything from finger foods to cold drinks at her tea shop with thatched roof. Her shop sits at the entrance of the temple.
In Bago town is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda. At approximately 112 metres in height, it is the tallest pagoda in Myanmar. The original structure, erected around the 10th century, was destroyed numerous times by earthquakes, including one in 1917 and another in 1930. Portions of what was salvaged from the 1917 tremor are preserved at the site. The Mon people built the pagoda to preserve two strands of Lord Buddha’s hair believed to have been presented to their traders Mahasala and Kullasala by Buddha himself during the duo’s trip to India. Also enshrined are his tooth relics that attract disciples from all walks of life, including this nun who allowed me to take her picture.
Visitors come to Yele Paya in couples and whole families, like this one dressed in their national attire, which includes the cylindrical skirt ‘longyi’, worn folded over in front and reaching to the ankles. This is worn by both sexes. Men folks also wear a single-breasted short jacket, the ‘aingyi’. The women wear a similar blouse-like attire, but doubled breasted and often with short sleeves. Pilgrims offer coconut and bananas to the statues.
The luminous Shwedagon Pagoda housing relics of the Buddha is one of the most popular attractions in Yangon. It was my second visit here in five years and nothing seemed to have changed apart from that the number of freelance tour guides had doubled. Some tourists were seen praying while others in a state of meditation. Visible from miles away, it was constructed over 2,500 years ago. The pagoda stands over a treasure chamber enshrining eight hairs of the Buddha. In the 15th century, Mon kings raised the spire to its current height of 98 metres and covered it with pure gold. The bejewelled umbrella-like structure at the top of the pagoda is said to house thousands of jewels.
Abject poverty drives many parents to send their children to beg at the temple or sell flowers. Instead of shunning, it is a good idea to buy them food or drink. If you are buying from any of them, be discreet otherwise you might be pestered by others to buy from them as well, until you give in.
A walking tour of Yangon’s commercial hub rewards visitors with beautiful but decaying buildings that line its streets. The city by and large retains its colonial charm, and visitors can also look forward to spacious parks and lakes where locals can be seen chilling out with friends and families in the evening. Shopping at the Bogyoke Aung San, also known as Scott’s Market, is fun because you can buy everything from precious stones to oil paintings. It is popular for its colonial architecture and cobblestone streets. This time-warped country offers a host of exciting sights and sounds—from the creaking, overcrowded buses to the betelchewing old women with blood-red teeth adding to its charm. To best experience Myanmar, you have to come with an open mind.
Apart from the pagodas and temples scattered across the country, it’s the locals that made my trip memorable. The most engaging, humorous and inquisitive people I’ve met were in the market place, where I got to sample native culinary delicacies like fried bean sprouts with shrimp and experience their communal lifestyle as well. Despite not being well off financially, they exuded a sense of hope that was hard for me to fathom. Could this hope, the dream of a better life and future, come from their faith in the Buddha—I just wonder.
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Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com