In Mandalay, Myanmar, sun sets behind U Bein Bridge, which bisects Taungthaman Lake and is said to be the longest and oldest teak bridge in the world. The bridge was completed in 1851, using teak wood reclaimed from a former royal palace. Not only is the bridge popular with tourists, it is in constant use by locals who save a great deal of transit time by being able to walk across the lake rather than go around it. Unfortunately, many of the 1,086 pillars that support the bridge have begun to deteriorate and rot, and some have already been replaced by concrete pillars because of concerns over instability. Our Viking River Myanmar Explorer Cruise/Tour arranged for boats to paddle into the center of the lake as the sun set behind the bridge.
Nice picture!I just went around one month ago to that exact same spot and there was barely any water. Looks great, thanks for the memory 🙂
Hi Julian: There’s are serious problems with water management in Myanmar. Even Inle Lake nearly dried up two years ago. Fortunately there are now some good NGO’s on the ground that are educating people and making some progress toward reversing the trend.