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Green and clean make Yangon different from
other capitals of Southeast Asia. Harmonized with its Victorian
buildings, tree-lined avenues, lakes and parks, Yangon reminds
the bygone era. Bustling and friendly street vendors, colorful
stalls, traditionally dressed city people, running old Chevrolet
buses, and trishaws, all make Yangon downtown lifelike a museum.
Shwedagon, the heart of Yangon, is the most revered pagoda in
the country. Towering 100 meters above the city, Shwedagon is
predominant for Buddhists and non Buddhists alike. This elegantly
shaped gold-laden pagoda reflects the beliefs and customs of Myanmar.
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 Mandalay,
the royal capital of Myanmar's last dynasty, is located between
the mighty Ayeyarwady river and the gloomy Shan plateau. Mandalay
is described as the Centre of culture, City of arts and handicrafts,
the Gate way to upper Myanmar, Trading centre of products from
all directions. The geometric patterns of streets, bustling bicycles
riders, low buildings, about 150 years old palace wall and moat
are the most visible features of Mandalay. This second largest
capital of Myanmar is also famous for having the most revered
3.5 meter Mahamuni Buddha Image of the country. Everyday pilgrims
and monks perform face washing ceremony of the Image at 4:00 in
the morning. The old royal cities of Amarapura, Sagaing and Innwa,
and the Mingun Bell can be easily reached from Mandalay by boat
or by car in less than one hour. The hill station Pyin Oo Lwin
is located about two hours drive from Mandalay. All these sites
offer a great variety of scenic beauty and the lifestyles of the
local people.
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Bagan, the capital of Myanmar's first dynasty, was built by
King Anawrahta in 1044. There are over 2,000 temples and stupas
spreading in 42 square kilometers of a desert like plain on
the bank of the Ayeyarwady river. All these red brick and stucco
religious monuments were built during 11th to 13th century.
The magnificent temple architecture, incredibly fine mural paintings,
brilliant stucco carving, and the most elegant Buddha Images,
all are telling the sublime SICif of ancient Bagan people. Riding
horse cart through sesame fields and the hundreds years old
temples under the dim sunset light or sitting quietly on a temple
platform, looking at the country side, and watching sunset over
the nearby temples and distant hills, can drive one's soul to
the timeless dream world.
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A kilometer long canal, suddenly opens to floating
gardens and numerous villages against the hazy mountain ranges.
Air gets cooler and drier. Fishermen rowing with their legs, casting
the rigid cone-shaped nets from the shallow canoes, and farmers
tending their floating tomato, chilly, flower gardens anchored
to the lake bed with long bamboo poles, are the first scene of
this magical Inle Lake. Sound of looms clanking, iron-smiths tapping,
girls' chattering while making cigars, and smiling kids greeting
through open shutters of bamboo and wooden houses adds a more
enchanting experience for the visit to this lake. Visit to Pindaya
and its magnificent cave, light trekking to Palaung villages near
Kalaw and drive to the ruins of Kakku Pagodas in the jungle are
the different sorts of experience that the Inle Lake area offers.
It is located in Southern Shan State, the market day of the villages.
is excitingly colorful with both hill fresh produce and hill tribe
people. |
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