Naypyidaw

678,500 km²
(16x the Netherlands)

UTC +6.30

Burmese, Shan, Karen, Kachin

Hkakabo Razi - 5,881 m

The flag of the Socialist Republic was in use from 1974 to 2010. The current flag is completely different. The current flag consists of yellow (solidarity), green (peace and tranquility) and red (courage and decisiveness) with a white star in the middle. The same colors were used by a puppet government that was installed by the Japanese in 1943-1945.

The Burmese Kyat was introduced in 1952. It was replaced in 1989 by the Myanmar Kyat. Depicted on the banknote is a Chinthe, a mythical guardian of shrines.

In 480 BC the foundations of a 9-meter high pagoda were laid at the location of the Schwedagon pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda is the holiest in the country. It contains four relics of Buddha. Four covered entrances, guarded by 9 meter high Chintei's (mythical lions), lead to the top of the 58 meter high hill on which the pagoda is located. The pagoda stands on a large plateau with marble tiles. There are 72 temples and prayer halls around the 98 meter high Shwedagon Pagoda. The dome is decorated with 60,000 kilograms of gold leaf. The Buddhists cover the dome and statues with gold leaf which you can buy in the square or in a store. It is a wafer-thin sheet which is beaten to a sheet by volunteers in shops. There are 8 prayer posts around the pagoda with the days of the week (Wednesday is divided into morning and afternoon), an animal and a planet.

Near the Schwedagon Pagoda is an ugly building, the Nga Htat Gyi, which houses a beautiful five-storey Buddha. In the Chauk Htat Gyi you will find a huge reclining buddha. The Sule Pagoda is located in the colonial district. If you're travelling in In the period of January and February, there is a lot of maintenance on the temples.

The reclining Buddha of Shwethalyaung in Bago is the largest in the country. It is 55 meters long and 16 meters high. It was built in 994 and forgotten after destruction of the city in 1757. It was rediscovered when a railway was built.

Nyaungshwe at the Inle Lake is an oasis of peace. Hike through the hillside villages and meet friendly locals. You should definitely make a boattrip on the 22 km long lake that is only 5 meters deep. Fishermen row with their legs and have a trap with which they catch fish and then pierce the catch with a spear. Ywama is a village on stilts in the lake. It has a floating market where you are surrounded by boats full of souvenirs. In Nga Phe Chaung, a monastery built in 1845, monks let the cats jump through a hoop.

The religious heart of Myanmar is located in and around Mandalay. There are numerous monasteries and temples. Here you also find the ancient cities of the kingdom such as Ava, Amarapura, Sagaing and Mingun. The U-bein bridge from the 19th century is located in Amarapura. Lots of wooden posts have been replaced by concrete parts. Definitely go to the Shwe In Bin Kyaung. This wooden monastery in Mandalay is beautiful. By boat to Mingun where the largest pagoda ever would have been built. It would be 150 meters high but only 50 meters were completed when the treasury ran dry. This stack consisting of millions of bricks can be climbed.

Bagan. There are approximately 2,200 shrines on an area of 40 km². From large temples like the Ananda to small. In 1044, King Anawratha started building the temples and 200 years later there were about 13,000. Decline started in 1287. Rent a bicycle and explore the area at your leisure. A balloon ride is also an option but that is very expensive.