Back to the country of monks: beyond the pictures

MYANMAR | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [441] | View Smaller Image

Intense life around the Golden Rock, one of the holiest places for the Theravada Buddhism. Till recently, westerners had to leave the top of the hill before sunset if they hadn't booked into one of the three government’s hotels. The drawback of the tourism rush is the inadequate accommodation capacity in Burma and the massive arrival of cash that has raised prices up to 10 in 18 months for activities related to tourism. As a side effect, locals may have difficulties to access these services.

A late afternoon at the U-Bein bridge. Peaceful, nothing looks to have changed in a country stucked into the past for 50 years, except some tourist boats in the distance.

It's hard to imagine that in 2007 Mandalay, with the most important monastic population of Burma, suffered mass arrests in monasteries during the Saffron Revolution.

Since western medias in early 2012 have promoted the opening of the country that occurred one year before, it has become destination #1 for travel agencies.

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Nuns standing apart look questioningly at the bustle around the hand-operated Ferris wheel. Emblematic of the mutations, youth adopt a new dress style conveyed by TV (satellite dishes are allowed since 2011). Jeans are replacing the traditional longyi. Karaoke clips are now performed by western dressed actors with modern house and ATV.

After decades of oppression, population discovers the consumer society and parents don't want their kids to be deprived as they have been.

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Back to the country of monks: beyond the pictures

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