MYANMAR
Country Overview:
“It’s a poorer, and in places, dirtier version of every other country in SE Asia”
Yangon is a great city to visit, for at least a few days. Similar to everywhere else in Southeast Asia, there are a ton of shrines, temples, and overly-large statues of Buddha. The food was good, the people were nice, but it seemed a little more run-down compared to more popular tourist cities I have been to in Southeast Asia. Though China Town in Yangon was insane, and I happened to be there during the Chinese Spring Festival and it was awesome. Red lanterns, fireworks, street food, beers on the street - I couldn’t have asked for a better place to hangout. Fun fact: I forgot the brand of beer, but when you open the bottle, each bottle cap has the chance to win a free beer, or different values of money, which I thought was a fun incentive to keep drinking. I did manage to win 3 free beers, and though not super exciting, I will never forget the waiter yelling in excitement and the word “Incredible!” he kept shouting every time I showed him the “1 free beer” bottle cap.
Yangon 3 // 2020
Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple is the most well-known Buddhist temple in Yangon. It houses one of the most revered reclining Buddha images in the country. The Buddha image is 66 meters long, and one of the largest in Burma.
Yangon, Myanmar // 2020
Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the administrative functions to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw. With over 7 million people, Yangon is Myanmar's most populous city.
Yangon boasts the largest number of colonial-era buildings in Southeast Asia, and has a unique colonial-era urban core that is remarkably intact. The colonial-era commercial core is centered around the Sule Pagoda, which is reputed to be over 2,000 years old.
The city is also home to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda – Myanmar's most sacred Buddhist pagoda. The mausoleum of the last Mughal Emperor is located in Yangon, where he had been exiled following the Indian Mutiny of 1857.