Click on title to view photo in large format: Nuns share a mid-morning meal at the Tha Kya Di Thar Nunnery on Sagaing Hill near Mandalay, Myanmar. Each day at 10:45 a.m., the nuns gather in the communal hall to sing songs before sitting down to eat. Their performance is open to the…
Tag: Myanmar
PHOTO: View from U Min Thonze Cave Pagoda Near Mandalay, Myanmar
Click on title to view photo in large format: View from U Min Thonze Cave Pagoda over Sagaing Hill, located on the opposite side of the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay, Myanmar. Only a handful of monasteries and pagodas existed when this area was the capital of Sagaing Kingdom, from 1315 to 1364. Today…
PHOTO: Weirawsana Jade Pagoda Near Mandalay, Myanmar
Click on title to view photo in large format: Weirawsana Jade Pagoda near Mandalay, Myanmar, is covered in jade worth $15 million. Inside the pagoda, jade Buddha statues occupy niches facing the four cardinal directions. The government of Myanmar represents it as the largest jade pagoda in the world, and the only one…
Cooling Off in the Hill Stations of Myanmar
By mid-February, the lowlands of Myanmar were sweltering under an unforgiving sun. With temperatures in the mid-90’s and 60% humidity, I fled the crowded streets of Mandalay and headed for the hills. Rather than rely on slow, uncomfortable trains like the Circular Train in Yangon, I splurged a little and hired a “taxi.”…
PHOTO: Bridal Couple at Kuthodaw Complex in Mandalay, Myanmar
Click on title to view photo in large format: Bridal couple celebrate their wedding day with a visit to Kuthodaw Complex in Mandalay, Myanmar. This famous site is often described as containing the largest book in the world. After my first circuit of the site, I was mystified. I saw absolutely no evidence…
PHOTO: Sun Sets Behind U Bein Bridge in Mandalay, Myanmar
Click on title to view photo in large format: 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…
