22 interesting facts about Myanmar

22 interesting facts about Myanmar

We reflect on the interesting facts about Myanmar that we learned during our bike tour through the country

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

Tourist numbers begin to rise, exiles return from the wilderness, and a wave of uncensored media becomes increasingly available to a newly optimistic population.

The world is waiting to see whether today's modest political reforms lead to lasting change, but the signs are positive. After centuries of rule - under colonial powers and then a military junta - the Burmese are getting their land back.

This is a fascinating time to discover the countless stupas of Bagan, the mythical caves of Pindaya, scenic mountain trails and the gentle Inle Lake with its floating gardens and countless monasteries.

As we near the end of our series about this fascinating country, we reflect on our most interesting facts about Myanmar.

Interesting facts about Myanmar

1. Fischer am Inle-See in Myanmar sind berühmt dafür, auf einem Bein zu fischen. Die Einheimischen der Intha entwickelten über Jahrhunderte die ungewöhnliche Technik, um gleichzeitig Fischen und Rudern zu ermöglichen. Im Stehen können die Fischer durch das Schilf sehen, das knapp unter der Oberfläche im seichten Wasser des Sees liegt. (Quelle: CNN)

alt=“Interesting facts about the Inle Lake fisherman in Myanmar”>Atlas & BootsA fisherman demonstrates the balancing act of fishing on one leg on Inle Lake

1. Myanmar war bis 1989 als Burma bekannt, als die Militärjunta das Land in Myanmar umbenannte. Die Hauptstadt Rangoon wurde Yangon. Es folgten mehrere Tage lang Demonstrationen, aber der Name ist geblieben. (Quelle: BBC)
2. 2006 wurde die Hauptstadt verlegt, wieder aufgebaut und Naypyidaw genannt. Die eigens errichtete Stadt verfügt über eine 20-spurige Autobahn, Golfplätze, schnelles WLAN und zuverlässige Stromversorgung. Das einzige, was es anscheinend nicht gibt, sind Menschen: Die Bevölkerung beträgt nur 924.608 im Vergleich zu Yangons 7.360.703! (Quelle: The Guardian)
3. Die ehemalige Hauptstadt Yangon (früher Rangoon) ist die Heimat der vergoldeten Shwedagon Paya. Es wird angenommen, dass es acht Haare von Gautama Buddha enthält und eine der heiligsten Stätten des Buddhismus ist. (Quelle: Smithsonian)

alt="interesting facts about Myanmar">Atlas & BootsShwedagon Paya is one of Buddhism's holiest sites

1. Myanmar galt von 1962 bis 2011 unter der Herrschaft einer repressiven Militärjunta als Paria-Staat. (Quelle: BBC)

2. Aung San Suu Kyi, the politically charged daughter of national hero Aung San, spent a total of 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2011. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her “non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights”. (Source: BBC)

3. During this time, Suu Kyi and her party (the National League for Democracy or NLD) called for a tourism boycott on the grounds that most of the tourist money went directly to the generals. Her plea lasted until her release at the end of 2010. Shortly thereafter, the NLD released a statement lifting the boycott. (Source: Independent)

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

1. Schließlich gewann im November 2015 die von Aung San Suu Kyi geführte Oppositionspartei NLD bei den Parlamentswahlen genügend Sitze, um eine Regierung zu bilden. (Quelle: BBC)

2. Currently, Suu Kyi and the NLD are facing international criticism over their handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority Rakhine region. The country has been accused of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and there have been calls for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Nobel Peace Prize. (Source: The Guardian)

3. A Buddhist monastery called Taung Kalat sits atop a volcanic cone that rises 170 m (558 ft) above the slope of Mount Popa, the 1,518 m (4,980 ft) volcano on which it stands. Volcanic plugs like Taung Kalat form when magma hardens in a vent of an active volcano. Today, Mount Popa and Taung Kalat are considered sacred sites, home to 37 revered “nats” (spirits). (Source: National Geographic)

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

1. Frauen (und in geringerem Maße auch Männer) tragen eine gelbliche Paste aus gemahlener Baumrinde, die sie auf Wangen, Nase und Hals auftragen. Die als Thanaka bekannte Paste kühlt die Haut, beugt Sonnenschäden vor, beseitigt Akne und kann bei Einnahme sogar Fieber und Kopfschmerzen lindern. (Quelle: New York Times)

2. In Myanmar, both men and women wear sarongs known as longyi. The patterns are significantly different for men and women. Designs for women are called acheik and tied differently. (Source: Time)

3. Women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe in Shan State are known for wearing neck rings: brass coils placed around the neck, seemingly elongating it. The coils actually push down their collarbones instead of lengthening their necks. (Source: Independent)

alt=“Interesting facts about long-neck women from Myanmar”>Atlas & BootsThe long-necked Kayan women of Inle Lake

1. Burma war seit Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts Teil des britischen Empire. Es wurde auch während des Zweiten Weltkriegs von Japan besetzt, bevor es 1948 unabhängig wurde. (Quelle: BBC)

2. The writer George Orwell lived in Burma from 1922 to 1927. He served in the Imperial Indian Police. Orwell became increasingly ashamed of his role as a colonial policeman and later recounted his experiences and reactions to imperial rule in his novel Burmese Days and two autobiographical short films, Shooting an Elephant and A Hanging. (Source: Britannica)

3. The Shwe U Min Natural Cave Pagoda of Pindaya is a natural cave complex containing over 8,000 statues or “images” of the Buddha. The latest count is 8,094. The number continues to rise as Buddhist organizations from around the world continue to donate to 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. Jahrzehntelang wurden die meisten Autos in Myanmar aus Japan importiert, wo die Fahrzeuge Rechtslenker sind. Allerdings herrscht in Myanmar auch Rechtsverkehr, Fahrzeuge sollten also wirklich Linkslenker sein. Schließlich wurde im Januar 2017 der Import von Rechtslenkern verboten. (Quelle: Financial Times)

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

3. Because it is located in an active earthquake zone, Bagan has suffered many earthquakes over the centuries, the most recent of which in 2016 destroyed over 400 buildings and damaged hundreds more. Today, the remains of “only” 2,000 temples and pagodas can still be seen, many of which are being repaired and restored. (Source: The Guardian)

alt=“Interesting facts about Myanmar Bagan”>Atlas & BootsToday the remains of “only” 2,000 temples and pagodas can still be seen

1. Myanmar ist eines von nur drei Ländern, die das metrische Maßsystem nicht eingeführt haben. Liberia und die USA sind die anderen beiden, die das Internationale Einheitensystem (SI oder metrisches System) nicht als ihr offizielles Maß- und Gewichtssystem übernommen haben. (Quelle: CIA World Factbook)

2. The Burmese chew a lot of betel, which is considered the equivalent of tea, coffee or tobacco. Betel stains teeth and gums and causes oral cancer. Needless to say, this is a growing health problem in the region. (Source: CNN)

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

alt="Interesting Facts About Inle Lake Gardens in Myanmar">Atlas & BootsFloat among the floating gardens on Inle Lake

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

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