22 interesting facts about Myanmar

22 interesting facts about Myanmar

We reflect on the interesting facts about Myanmar, which we experienced by the country during our bike tour

As a travel destination, Myanmar is young, but rich in history and culture. After decades under repressive military rule, the country finally opens up.

The number of tourists begins to rise, banished bends from the wilderness back and a wave of uncensored media is increasingly available to a newly optimistic population.

The world is waiting for whether today's modest political reforms lead to permanent changes, but the signs are positive. After centuries of rule - under colonial powers and then a military junta - the Burmese get their country back.

This is a fascinating time to discover the countless stupas of Bagan, the mythical caves of Pindaya, picturesque mountain paths and the gentle inle lake with its floating gardens and countless monasteries.

While we are approaching the end of our series about this fascinating country, we think about our most interesting facts about Myanmar.

Interesting facts about Myanmar

1. Fischer at the Inle Lake in Myanmar are famous for fishing on one leg. The locals of the Intha developed the unusual technology for centuries to enable fishing and rowing at the same time. While standing, the fishermen can see through the reeds, which is located just below the surface in the shallow water of the lake. (Source: CNN)

old = "interesting facts about the inle-lake fisherman in Myanmar"Atlas & BootsA fisherman demonstrates the fishing balancing act on a leg on Lake Inle

1. Myanmar was known as Burma until 1989 when the military junta renamed the country in Myanmar. The capital Rangoon became Yangon. Demonstrations followed for several days, but the name has remained. (Source: BBC)

2. In 2006 the capital was relocated, rebuilt and called Naypyidaw. The specially built city has a 20-lane motorway, golf courses, fast WiFi and reliable power supply. The only thing that does not seem to be there are people: the population is only 924,608 compared to Yangons 7,360,703! (Source: The Guardian)

3. The former capital Yangon (formerly Rangoon) is the home of the gold -plated Shwedagon Paya. It is believed that it contains eight hair from Gautama Buddha and is one of the sacred sites of Buddhism. (Source: Smithsonian)

old = "interesting facts about Myanmar"Atlas & BootsShwedagon Paya is one of the sacred sites of Buddhism

1. From 1962 to 2011, Myanmar was under the rule of a repressive military junta as a pariad state. (Source: BBC)

2. Aung San Suu Kyi, the politically charged daughter of the national heroine Aung San, spent a total of 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2011. In 1991 she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her "violent struggle for democracy and humanity rights". (Source: BBC)

3. During this time, Suu Kyi and her party (the National League for Democracy or NLD) called a tourism boycott, on the grounds that the majority of the tourist money went directly to the generals. Your request lasted until her release at the end of 2010. Shortly afterwards, the NLD published an explanation in which it lifted the boycott. (Source: Independent)

Alt = "Interesting facts about Myanmar tourists welcome"Atlas & BootsTourists are now welcome in Myanmar

1. Finally, in November 2015, the opposition party NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi in the parliamentary elections won enough seats to form a government. (Source: BBC)

2. Suu Kyi and the NLD are currently criticized internationally for their handling of a crisis in the mostly Muslim region of Rakhine. The country was accused of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and there were demands for the dismissal of the Nobel Peace Prize of Suu Kyi. (Source: The Guardian)

3. A Buddhist monastery called Taung Kalat sits on a volcanic cone that rises 170 m (558 feet) over the slope of Mount Popa, the 1,518 m (4,980 feet) volcano on which it says. Volcanic plugs such as Taung Kalate arise when Magma hardens in an active volcano pile. Today Mount Popa and Taung Kalat are considered sacred sites, home of 37 worshiped "Nats" (ghosts). (Source: National Geographic)

Alt = "Taung Kalat seen from Mount Popa"Atlas & BootsTaung Kalat seen from Mount Popa Resort

1. Women (and to a lesser extent also men) wear a yellowish paste made of ground tree bark, which they apply to cheeks, nose and neck. The paste, known as Thanaka, cools the skin, prevents solar damage, eliminates acne and can even alleviate fever and headache when used. (Source: New York Times)

2. In Myanmar, both men and women wear Sarongs who are known as Longyi. The patterns are significantly different for men and women. Designs for women are referred to as a echik and bound differently. (Source: Time)

3. Women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe in the Shan state are known to carry neck rings: brass coils that are placed around the neck and apparently extend it. The coils actually press down their collarbes instead of extending their necks. (Source: Independent)

Alt = "Interesting facts about long -necked women from Myanmar"Atlas & BootsThe long-necked Kayan women of the Inle Lake

1. Burma has been part of the British Empire since the middle of the 19th century. It was also occupied by Japan during the Second World War before it became independent in 1948. (Source: BBC)

2. The writer George Orwell lived in Burma from 1922 to 1927. It served in the imperial Indian police. Orwell was increasingly ashamed of his role as a colonial policeman and later told about his experiences and reactions to imperial rule in his novel "Burmese Days" and in two autobiographical short films "Shooting to Elephant" and "A Hanging". (Source: Britannica)

3. The Shwe U Min Natural Cave Pagoda of Pindaya is a natural cave complex with over 8,000 statues or "pictures" of the Buddha. The last count is 8,094. The number continues to increase because Buddhist organizations from all over the world are still donating for the already bursting collection. (Source: Lonely Planet)

Alt = "Interesting facts about the Pindaya caves in Myanmar"Atlas & BootsThe cave complex near Pindaya is filled with over 8,000 Buddha statues

1. For decades, most of the cars in Myanmar from Japan were imported, where the vehicles are right -handed. However, legal transactions also exist in Myanmar, so vehicles should really be left -handers. Finally, the import of right -handed core was banned in January 2017. (Source: Financial Times)

2. Myanmar is the home of Bagan, the world's largest and densest collection of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins. The kingdom founded in the second century AD once had over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries. (Source: Visit Bagan)

3. Since it is in an active earthquake area, Bagan has suffered many earthquakes over the centuries, the youngest of which in 2016 destroyed over 400 buildings and damaged hundreds. Today the remains of "only" 2,000 temples and pagodas can be seen, many of which are repaired and restored. (Source: The Guardian)

old = "interesting facts about Myanmar Bagan"Atlas & BootsToday the remains of "only" 2,000 temples and pagodas can be seen

1. Myanmar is one of only three countries that have not introduced the metric measure system. Liberia and the USA are the other two who have not adopted the international unit system (SI or metric system) as their official measure and weight system. (Source: Cia World Factbook)

2. The Burmese chew a lot of prayer, which is considered an equivalent to tea, coffee or tobacco. Betel colored the teeth and gums and causes mouth cancer. Unnecessarily saying that this is a growing health problem in the region. (Source: CNN)

3. The people of the Intha on the Inle Lake grow vegetables on floating islands, which are a accumulation of floating weeds and water hyacinths. These floating garden islands can be cut, redesigned and moved with boats and even sold like a piece of land. (Source: Lonely Planet)

Alt = "interesting facts about inle lake gardens in Myanmar"Atlas & BootsLet yourself be driven between the floating gardens on Lake Inle

If you would like to find out more about Myanmar before your visit, we recommend Lonely Planet Myanmar.

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