lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

if no respect for the what the original would have looked like. In Bagan,for example, all zedi would have been traditionally covered with white orpainted stucco, not left as the bare brick structures they are today.345Other BuildingsAlthough so little remains of the old wooden architectural skills, thereare still many excellent wooden buildings to be seen. The people ofMyanmar continue to use teak with great skill, and a fine country homecan be a very pleasing structure indeed.While many buildings erected during the British colonial period havebeen demolished or are facing the wrecking ball, those that survive are oftenwell worth seeking out. They range from the rustic wood-and-plasterTudor villas of Pyin Oo Lwin to the thick-walled, brick-and-plaster, colonnadedmansions and shop houses of Yangon, Mawlamyine and Myeik.An interesting example of a fusion of Myanmar and European styles isthe City Hall building in Yangon. Until recently scant attention was paidto preserving colonial architecture – for political as well as economic reasons.In March 2011, The Irrawaddy reported that five major colonial-erabuildings in Yangon (the former Prime Minister’s Office, and the formerMinistries of Energy; Hotels and Tourism; Immigration and Population;and Commerce) would be preserved in an effort to attract more tourists.One Yangon colonial-era building that has already been nicely sprucedup through private donations and overseas grants is the Moseah YeshuaSynagogue.Sculpture & PaintingEarly Myanmar art was always a part of the religious architecture –paints were for the walls of temples, sculpture to be placed inside them.Many pieces, formerly in paya or kyaung, have been sold or stolen and,unfortunately, you’ll easily find more Myanmar religious sculpture forsale or on display overseas than in Myanmar.In the aftermath of the 1988 demonstrations, the government forbade‘selfish’ or ‘mad art’ that didn’t have clear pro-government themes. Oneartist, Sitt Nyein Aye, spent two months in custody for sketching theruins of the former student union, which Ne Win had blown up in 1962.Most contemporary Myanmar artists now play safe with predictabletourist-oriented works. The government’s posters – anti-AIDS, antidrugs,pro-traffic safety, or just pro-government! – are occasionally interestingpieces of propaganda artwork, but you shouldn't expect any of the SocialistRealist élan of the former Soviet Union, Vietnam or North Korea.Traditional CraftsApart from the following, other Myanmar crafts you may come acrossare paper parasols, silver and metalware, and wood carvings. For tips onshopping for traditional crafts, see p 27 .AmazingWoodStructures» ShwenandawKyaung, Mandalay» U Bein’s Bridge,Amarapura» Bagaya Kyaung,Inwa» YouqsonKyaung, Salay» PakhanngehKyaung, PakokkuOld MyanmarPaintings in theCollection of UWin is one of theillustrated publicationsof theThavibu Gallery(www.thavibu.com) specialisingin Burmese art.ARTS & ARCHITECTUREKammawa & ParabaikKammawa a (from the Pali kammavacha) are narrow, rectangular slatspainted with extracts from the Pali Vinaya (the Pitaka) concerned withmonastic discipline; specifically, extracts to do with clerical affairs. Thecore of a kammawa a page may be a thin slat of wood, lacquered cloth,thatched cane or thin brass, which is then layered with red, black andgold lacquer to form the script and decorations.The parabaik (Buddhist palm-leaf manuscript) is a similarly horizon-tal ‘book’, this time folded accordion-style, like a road map. The pagesare made of heavy paper covered with black ink on which the letters areengraved.The bronzeMahamuni Buddha,in Mandalay’sMahamuniPaya, may dateback to the 1stcentury AD and isMyanmar’s mostfamous Buddhistsculpture.