Continuous research on star tortoises conducts in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary Research programme has been continued by the Forest Department, Wildlife Conservation Society’s Myanmar Program and Turtle Survival Alliance in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary, observing natural characters of star tortoises and their health. Situated in Minbu Township, Magway Region, a total of 150 star tortoises (Geochelone Platynota), a critically endangered species, are naturally living in the sanctuary, according to a report of the Myawady Daily issued on Sunday. All of the total numbers, small radio transmitters have been installed on the back of 42 turtle’s upper shell to provide information for follow-up healthcare to those land-dwelling reptiles in the sanctuary. Altogether 50 tortoises have been placed in each 2.5-acre wide plot. Recording, mapping and calculation have been conducted by research team thrice a month. The rare species is native to the dry and deciduous forests in the country. It can be found in Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions. This kind of tortoise normally eats grass, weeds, leaves, flowers and other fibrous plants as well as earthworms and snails. The tortoises normally lay eggs up to four times a year. There are three protected areas for star tortoises in the country: Lawkananda Wildlife […]
Chinlone, which is also known as caneball, is the traditional sport of Burma or Myanmar. Chinlone is a team sport which is a combination of sport and dance. Chinlone is more on creativity and not competitiveness. Chinlone in Burmese means basket-round or rounded basket. The ball is made from rattan. The game is played by two teams with six players each. They pass the ball back and forth using their feet, knees, and their heads as they walk around a circle. While the rest pass the ball around, a player goes into the middle alone, and the player creates a dance of different moves strung together. If they drop the ball to the ground, the play should start again. This game is usually played barefoot or using chinlone shoes that will let the players feel the ball and the ground. The players can make contact with the ball through the top of their toes, the inner and outer sides of the foot, the heel, the sole, and the knee. The sport requires extreme flexibility, agility and fitness as well as exceptional coordination. Chinlone has played a prominent role in Myanmar for about 1,500 years. It’s style is so performance based […]
King Mindon established Mandalay Yadanarbon Nay Pyi Taw in 1857 and the city was completed in 1859. The size of the city was 2400 ta (cubit).Each side of City was 600 cubits; one cubit is equivalent to 7 yards.Mandalay is a very histiorical city. It was home to the two last king of Myanmar; King Mindon and King Thibaw. The British took over the city in 1885.Mandalay is located 716 km North of Yangon. It was the royal capital of the last two kings of Myanmar, and is the cultural and religious centre of Buddhism. The city is also famous for its traditional crafts. Mandalay has a tropical wet and dry climate. The Mandalay streets are laid out in a grid system, and are numbered east to west (up to 49th) and North to South (over 50th).Among the various types of traditional food on offer in Mandalay, are the famous Mont T, Htoe Mote and La Phat. Highlights of the city, it’s seven structures include Mya Nan San Kyaw Shwe Nan Daw (Golden Palace), Moat, Pitakas Taik, Thu Damar Congregation Hall, Atu Mashi Monastery, Ku Tho Taw Pagoda and Thein Taw Gyi. Mya Nan San Kyaw Shwe Nan Daw (Golden […]
MYANMAR has the most Buddhist temples of any South-East Asian country. There are said to be a million pagodas and stupas! In the rural village of Bagan alone, there are over 3000 structures on a plain of 42km2, the site of the first Burmese kingdom between the 11th and 13th centuries. In each city, town and remote village, there are pagodas to be found. Fascinatingly, although hundreds are now in ruins, countless are still places of active worship and the centre of community life. In addition, hundreds of Buddhist temples are being built, to add to the existing vast numbers. I saw new construction – with bamboo scaffolding – as well as restoration, in each place I visited. Donating money to build a pagoda on temple grounds, or to support a monastery, is one of the most popular ways to earn merit (kutho), believed to allay illness and misfortune and secure a better rebirth in the next life. The wide practice of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar permeates the daily life of the people, ranking them as the world’s most generous country, along with the US. I experienced the renowned hospitality when I was invited off the street into a private […]
Vesākha (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists on different days in India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar and in other places all over the world. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s Birthday”, it commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Buddhahood), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition. The decision to agree to celebrate Vesākha as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition. The resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows: That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a […]
The World’s Largest Book The Kuthodaw Pagoda or Maha Lawka Marazein Paya is located at the base of the southeast stairways to Mandalay Hill and was built by King Mindon at the same time he was constructing the Royal Palace. Its central stupa is modeled on the Shwezigon at Nyaung U near Bagan. The Charity Group of the Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay painted the campus of the Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as World’s Largest Book Heritage site on 11.11.2016.They announced at the Hotel social media page that anyone who wishes to join them in helping preserve one of the most important monuments in Mandalay. The stupa itself, connected to the outside entry by means of a long corridor, is set in the middle of a thirteen acre field of 729 pitaka pagodas or shrines (Dama Cetis). Each shrine contains a marble slab, inscribed on both sides with the Pali script text of a portion the Tipitaka (Pali spelling, or Tripitaka, in Sanskrit), Theravada Buddhism’s sacred texts. Taken together, they contain the entire text of the Tipitaka and thus form “the world’s largest book.” The slabs were carved from white Sagyin Hill marble found just a few miles north of […]
Hospitality to any visitor or guest is a Myanmar Tradition. Without expecting any presents or cash in return for their hospitality, they are only proud of being able to host the guests. This is not just Myanmar custom anymore, now, it becomes the custom of Asia.Myanmar people take concern for any visitors who have no acquaintances or relatives to stay for the night. So, they have built the Zayats, the rest house, for any visitor to stay. A Zayat is a kind of hotel in Myanmar style, where anyone can stay or take a rest for free charges. Geographically, Mandalay lies at the center of Myanmar. Visiting Myanmar on business or just for pleasure, Mandalay and its surroundings are the most interesting sites. King Mindon may have selected Mandalay as his capital for it’s flat and vast land for beautiful surroundings.There are many beautiful scenarios and cultural edifices around Mandalay. By staying Mandalay, we can visit to many tranquil and quiet places.Mandalay is also located as the central city for commerce and tours. It is reasonable to think that the kind had chosen this place for his capital of this fact. Thudhamma Zayats at the footage of Mandalay Hill are […]
The charity group of the Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay performed cleaning of the campus of the Sandamuni Pagoda on 29.09.2016 at 3:00pm. This group wishes to help preservation of the most important monuments and historical heritage sites in Mandalay! The Sanda Muni Buddha Image is situated to the South-East of the Mandalay Hill.It was commissioned by King Mindon Min in 1874 as a memorial to Mindon Min’s younger brother, Kanaung Mintha, who was assassinated along with 3 princes, Malun, Saku, and Maingpyin, during the 1866 Myingun Prince rebellion. This pagoda contains the graves of the Kanaung, Sagu Mintha, Malun and Maingpyin Princes. It also contains an iron image of the Buddha cast by Bodawpaya in 1802, and removed from Amarapura by Mindon in 1874.The statue reportedly weighs 40,924.8 pounds (18,563.2 kg).
Mandalay is located 716 km North of Yangon. It was the royal capital of the last two kings of Myanmar, and is the cultural and religious centre of Buddhism. The city is also famous for its traditional crafts. Mandalay has a tropical wet and dry climate. The Mandalay streets are laid out in a grid system, and are numbered east to west (up to 49th) and north to south (over 50th).Addresses show the block where the building is located by giving the main street which it is on and the streets which is between: for example, 56th (between 19th and 20th Street). There are Six Townships, namely Aung Myae Thar San, Chan Aye Thar San, Mahar Aung Myay, Chan Mya Thar Si, Pyi Gyi Tagon and Amarapura. Moreover, Mandalay is well known for its pagodas and historical buildings; Maha Muni Pagoda, Maha Thatkya Thiha Pagoda, Shwe Kyee Myin Pagoda, Sanda Muni Pagoda, Kutho Daw, Atu Mashi Monastery, Golden Palace Monastery, Mandalay Hill, Yankin Hill and U Bein Bridge. The heart of the city dominated by Zegyo market. The Clock Tower, built in 1903 to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. Eain Daw Yar Pagoda, a very popular pagoda known […]
Countries will surprise you. Like people, you think you understand their identity based on stories you read or images you view. Whether forming opinions from a 19th-century novel or a scandalous modern day tell all, an impressionist oil painting or series of poorly focused Trip Advisor member photos, humans have been unfairly judging places and each other, before we get to know them personally, for centuries. It’s an imperfect system. Yet it’s the one we have for making decisions on where we go, what we eat, and who we’ll see. And so it was for me with Myanmar. I thought I needed to go to this Asian country formerly known as Burma before the Chinese builders decimated any remaining “authentic” local character by rapidly tossing up bland, soulless construction projects to meet the surge in tourism. I thought Myanmar lacked the supermodel good looks of the California coast or the scenic gravitas of the Swiss Alps, but the chance to witness an intact culture before its inevitable full and tragic transition to all things Western, would provide worthwhile balance. Once I decided to go, suddenly I was in a rush to get there before it was “ruined,” but then wondered […]