- August 20, 2019
- Myanmar Travel Tips
- facts about Myanmar
8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Myanmar
8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Myanmar
It is common knowledge that Myanmar is the land of golden pagodas, ancient Buddhist temples, gorgeous rivers, and mountain ranges extending from the great Himalayan range, tropical forests full of teak trees, different varieties of fishes, birds and wildlife. Other than its natural beauty and greenery the country is also famous for its political upheavals, military junta, the ethnic clashes and lately issues at the Rakhine border.
On the other hand, though, there are few facts that are hidden from the larger world. Let’s look at 8 interesting things of Myanmar that probably very few people in the world know.
- It is only country in the world that has right-handed vehicles driving on the right side of the road. And in Yangon, earlier known as Rangoon, the former capital of the country, there are no motorbikes to be seen as this form of transportation is banned in the city.
- The Shwedagon Paya in Yangon is one of the most popular destinations in Myanmar, especially for Buddhists. It is one of the oldest Buddhist Pagoda’s in the word and is believed to be more than 2600 years old. The stupa is sanctified by eight hair of Guatam Buddha and hence it is considered to be a sacred place by his followers. It is covered in gold leaf and diamonds. The largest 72 carats diamond sits at the top of the Pagoda.
- Taung Kalat is another famous Buddhist monument in Myanmar. It is a monastery that has been constructed atop a volcano plug on the south-west slopes of Mount Popa at a height of 2156 ft above sea level. It is located in the Mandalay region in Myanmar. With clear weather, the monastery is visible from the Ayeyarwaddy River. Another sacred feature about the place that makes it so special for Buddhists pilgrims is that it is home to 37 revered spirits or Nats.
- Burma is perhaps the only nation in the world where local people not only drink tea, they eat it too. The tea leave is known here as Iahpet. Iahpet thohk or tea leaf salad is a very popular delicacy of Myanmar. It is even recommended for tourists to taste it at least once during their trip to the country.
- A very common sight in Myanmar is faces of women, young men and children covered with yellow paste. The paste is called Thanakha in local language and is made by grinding the bark of some selected trees. The paste is considered to be an effective skin protection treatment from the sun’s rays and has been used in the country for more than 2000 years now.
- Myanmar is a country that does not use the metric system of the International System of Units for weights and measures. Liberia and USA are the other two counties in the world that have not adopted the metric system yet.
- Another very interesting feature about the local fishermen in the Inle Lake region of the country is that they fish on one leg. It is believed that this is a traditional form of fishing and was evolved, as standing on one leg enables them to see clearly beneath the surface water.
- The Mergui Archipelago is inhabited by sea gypsies who live throughout the year at the sea. They come to the lands only during the rains. They know the oceans so well that they were able to foresee the 2004 Tsunami and move to the lands before-hand.