In The Land Of Golden Pagodas (Asia) Vacation Travel Video Guide

foreign [Music] mysterious and full of fascinating sights and amazing temples formerly named Burma it certainly lives up to its reputation the land of golden pagodas its sacred buildings shine out in all their Glory [Music] although for many years a closed country today the beauty of its temples and Splendid landscape attract a growing number of foreign tourists [Music] Yangon once named Rangoon by the British is not only the capital of Myanmar but with four million inhabitants it is also the country's largest city it can be traced back to the 5th Century BC [Music] when it reopened its Frontiers there was a gradual influx of tourists now myanmar's tourist industry has developed into an important source of income [Music] the city has several wonderful sites the schwedegon Pagoda is one of the most important buildings in the religious life of the City's population this Sanctuary also attracts a large number of foreign tourists myanmar's National Sanctuary is the city's Main Attraction and it's also one of the most famous sacred buildings in the world it never fails to surprise [Music] [Music] the main focal point a dominant Central stupa is completely covered with gold there are so many things to see it's very easy to spend a day here foreign [Music] Pagoda and the history of Yangon date back to the time of the galtama Buddha [Music] It is believed the 2500 years ago to Traders from what is now young gone traveled to India it was there that they met Buddha thank you Buddha was meditating beneath the Raja yatana tree presented him with boiled rice and begged him to teach them thus tapusa and balika became Buddha's first followers [Music] when they returned to Yangon they brought with them a number of Highly sacred Buddhist objects foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] Treasures is a prone Buddha the 70 meter long Buddha statue lies within the kyotaki pagoda the Pagoda including a statue that was completed in 1966 is part of a large and famous monastery complex that can accommodate more than 500 monks [Music] a traditional Dragon stands guard over the botatang Pagoda the original building was destroyed during the second World War the bomb destroyed the sanctoriz stupa during the cleanup operation a number of precious relics were found beneath the ruins in addition to numerous gold silver and bronze Buddha figures and a small golden stupa that were discovered in the main chamber there was also one of Buddha's hairs foreign a close relationship between Yangon and the Buddhist religion is also highlighted by the Kaaba AI Pagoda that was rebuilt in 1952. [Music] the Pagoda was built to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of Buddha's entry to Nirvana and also for the sixth Buddhist sinata it is also popular with the local people [Music] the nearby man-made mahaprasana Grotto was also constructed for this event [Music] in the center of Yangon is the Suli Pagoda [Music] Sanctuary exists existed long before the city of today it is thought that the Pagoda dates back to the time of Indian king Ashoka foreign [Music] place to relax is the Royal Park it's the ideal place in which to recharge one's batteries prior to resuming the tour of Yangon [Music] the Royal Lake boasts a fine ship the karawyak buck [Music] in the evening various shows and traditional performances take place on board theatrical and dance performances are popular in Myanmar Quay a combination of Music and Dance that tells a story is included in almost every Festival Puppet Theater also has a long tradition here [Applause] the old Metropolis of monbego is far quieter than the capital however little remains of its former splendor between the 14th and 16th centuries bega was the capital of a powerful Kingdom success began with the decline of an earlier Dynasty following the decline of the first Burmese realm the Golden Era of bego began a prosperous Epoch that proved to be short-lived [Music] for a short period in the middle of the 18th century Bago became the capital of the mon Realm Seventeen years later in 1857 the city was conquered and destroyed by King along Bayer an earthquake in 1930 devastated most of the city's buildings it left bego in Ruins [Music] [Applause] foreign ly surprising that the main section of the schwimador Pagoda was built in the middle of the 20th century its stupa is 114 meters high it is the tallest in the whole of Myanmar [Music] the 1990s this Sanctuary has enjoyed a new lease of life [Music] despite the many natural catastrophes it has suffered bego is a truly captivating City has become one of the city's most popular attractions one reason for this is its huge Buddha statue [Music] 55 meters long and 16 meters tall this prone statue may not be particularly large but it is certainly extremely beautiful it draws a lot of attention [Music] south of bego is one of the city's oldest sanctuaries the Boon Pagoda that was built in 1476 during the reign of King damaszetti [Music] four huge 30-meter High Buddha statues sit back to back and gaze stoically at the Four Points of the compass they represent the galtama Buddha and his three predecessors [Music] bego never regained its former importance City and its surroundings have a rural atmosphere the idea of consecrating a car may seem to be somewhat bizarre but this floral tradition is widespread throughout Myanmar [Music] around 85 percent of the population are terevara Buddhists Myanmar is one of the few countries in the world where this ancient form of Buddhism has survived foreign [Music] [Music] plays a large part in the everyday life of the people but very few are able to adhere to all of its rules donations to monks pagodas and sanctuaries have always been a good and simple way for Buddhists to improve their karma and the country's many sacred buildings have benefited from this [Music] 25 kilometers or two hours by boat from Yangon is the Tranquil town of tuante located on the tuente canal surrounded by farmland [Music] tuante is a small town with a lot of charm and character plus a fine canal and of course several interesting Buddhist sanctuaries foreign [Music] the hustle and bustle of the jetty gives the impression of a busy and crowded town but the opposite is true tuante is more like an idyllic Village looks are a common sight on the streets of Myanmar for thousands of years they have been part of daily life [Music] main landmark Rises High into the sky it dates back to early mom times and is still of great significance oh here the golden pagodas are simply breathtaking even in the rural areas no expense has been spared for the Magnificent buildings that are to be found everywhere tuante is an ancient Pottery town in large workshops beneath palm leaf roofs The Potter's Wheel has turned from one century to the next these traditional working methods are reminiscent of a bygone time Toronto Pottery is famous throughout Myanmar [Music] these workshops provide a fascinating Insight of a typical working day in a Burmese town while various women make fumigants the men are skilled in the art of glassblowing [Music] there's a wedding celebration taking place outside [Applause] [Music] enchanting beauty of this extraordinary place is immediately obvious the picturesque Lake inlay is a wonderful setting [Music] since the 18th century it's been inhabited by the inter-people their unique fishing technique of using a conical-shaped net of bamboo has made the inter famous foreign such as this one in mine talk demonstrate the rural nature of this region here it's possible to sample what's on offer and there's also a good range of souvenirs [Music] in addition to local fishing techniques Lake inlay's floating gardens are also quite unusual an abundance of tomatoes cucumbers and beans are grown in these unconventional Gardens [Music] oh [Music] the village of Kayla has a unique attraction [Music] jumping cat Monastery this Monastery became famous due to its performing cats that jumped through various hoops [Music] floating gardens are pulled by boat to their destinations yawama is not only the largest Village on Lake inlay due to its picturesque houses it's become one of the most famous destinations in this region [Music] however the village of Talay has not been so fortunate in spite of its beautiful Pagoda few tourists come here [Music] just outside the peaceful Village of Indian is the ancient Buddhist sanctuary of alang sitto its architecture highlights the influence of the Shan people one of the largest ethnic groups in Southeast Asia [Applause] in the heart of Shan State droning songs announced the beginning of a festive parade these are a common sight in this country as Myanmar is a land of festivals foreign adore their festivals they're really quite a lively bunch both vehicles and dancers are gayly decorated Pagoda is famous for its festivals a religious Festival that takes place during the full moon of tabong is particularly well known [Music] a wall and mighty guard surround the 700 year old sanctuary the borgio Pagoda has always benefited from generous donations [Music] generations of Shan monarchs the sofas from nearby shapur donated large amounts of money to the sanctuary they spared no expense for these wonderful pagodas [Music] foreign [Music] today many pilgrims still have a passion for gambling at one time betting was only permitted on special occasions such as during the temple festivals of February and March [Laughter] [Music] as high taxes were imposed on betting large amounts of money helped to decorate the borgio pagoda [Music] Mandalay is a legendary City on the Iowa along with several other beautiful towns such as moniwa [Music] [Applause] this Region's most important Treasures lie outside the city of around 300 000 inhabitants built in the 1950s the tan Bode Temple attracts large numbers of the faithful foreign [Music] that means one thousand bow trees these trees are regarded as Sacred by the local people [Music] the Burmese have always believed that they are Buddha's chosen people their Origins date back to Buddha's tribe the sakyas indeed Buddhism has been practiced here for two thousand years [Music] [Music] the people of the mon and the Pew tribes were the first to come into contact with terravada Buddhism Indian king Ashok helped to spread the word in the 3rd Century BC King Ashoka sent numerous missionaries into various parts of Southeast Asia so Buddhism proliferated [Music] this resulted in a lively interchange between Sri Lanka and the former Burma during this time the doctrine of the elders prevailed thus heravada Buddhism became the country's main religion laughs the numerous sacred buildings of bodhita tongue are immense the huge dimensions of its buildings and statues indicates the importance of this remarkable sanctuary [Music] more famous than moniwa is the Tiny Village of mingun its rural setting belies the fact that one of myanmar's most important sites is located here [Music] we travel from the river ayawari Inland using the most popular means of Transport in this region the ox cart [Music] due to their proximity to Mandalay these magnificent buildings have become a popular sightseeing destination a number of the buildings of the Burmese monarchy were not completed however mingun is the most popular tourist destination in Myanmar [Music] short drive each one of the unmistakable landmarks of mingle the huge Ming Oda is often quite rightly referred to as a memorial to megalomania these ruins demonstrate the Zenith of the kombbong dynasty during the rule of King Bodo Paya at the end of the 18th century although the buildings of the ambitious King remained unfinished due to its immense proportions dimensions of this gigantic Pagoda are still highly impressive next to the unfinished mingun Pagoda is yet another Sanctuary on the Iowa and one that is in very much better condition [Music] the nearby sinbayumi Pagoda was built in 1816 during the reign of King bagidor a grandson of the megalomaniacal king bodorpayer the richly adorned Pagoda was a memorial for the King's favorite wife [Music] this Pagoda symbolizes the world mountain of meru its architecture is based on Hindu Buddhist cosmology due to its great symbolism and beauty the sinbayumi Pagoda became the model for many other religious sanctuaries [Music] seven Terraces lead up to the stupa of the complex that was partly destroyed by an earthquake in 1838 King Min Don one of Burma's last monarchs ordered the renovation of the sanctuary in 1874. [Music] thank you so due to the king's initiative one of the most beautiful pagodas in mingun was saved from decay foreign the building that was built as a memorial to princess sinbayumi still continues to shine out in all of its original splendor throughout his Rule King mindon was known for his love of architecture [Music] the city of Mandalay that is only 11 kilometers from mingun not only profited from the Burmese King's passion for building it was even founded by him [Music] oh a building protects the largest working Bell in the world the famous mingun Bell is nearly four meters high and weighs 90 tons we return to the banks of the Iowa by oxcart [Music] the journey on the legendary River provides us with an ideal opportunity to observe the daily life of the people both on and off this famous Waterway while the landscape slowly passes by The View across the sake Hills that lie majestically above the watery landscape is a splendid sight [Music] is not a center of royal power but is instead the hearts of Buddhism in Myanmar at the foot of the Mountain of various ancient centuries that have seen better days [Music] the old silversmith town of sagaying is seldom visited by tourists it's overshadowed by a range of famous Hills the hills are covered with hundreds of monasteries temples and shrines at the beginning of the 14th century sagaing was a center of political life Klein of the city of Bagan sagane became the new capital of the realm this lasted for 50 years [Music] jayapura the classical name of sagaing is also rightly known as the Victoria city it was that Buddhism Triumph the Kang mudor Pagoda the most Splendid and famous Pagoda in this region is situated several kilometers behind the main Monastery area it dates back to the first half of the 17th century and was originally built with the remains of the mahaziri Pagoda in Bago foreign [Music] who ruled the country until 1648 who had this Pagoda built it's usually quite crowded here with both tourists and locals alike foreign for those interested in Burmese religious art this is the place to be the variety of Buddha statues is quite overwhelming total of 120 gnats and Diva figures decorate the lowest Terrace of the Kang mudar pagoda's main building thank you [Music] the sanctuary stupa is exactly 46.5 meters high the three lower Terraces are surrounded by 812 posts thank you [Music] the origin and history of this enchanting Sanctuary have been written in the Burmese language for posterity foreign [Music] who was the founder of the former capital amarapura was also responsible for the construction of the Ang Mai loka Pagoda that was consecrated in 1783. it's a copy of the shwayzegon Pagoda in Bega thank you [Music] in the middle of the 18th century his father alonpayer laid the foundations of Burma's last High season at the beginning of the kanbong dynasty Alan Paya waged a number of successful Wars against the mon and Shan and gained control of large areas of land [Music] under the rule of alongpayer Burma once again became a great power in Southeast Asia it was proud of its Newfound greatness foreign [Music] conquered the legendary Royal City of ayutthaya that is located in today's Thailand the conquest of ayotaya in 1766 the other kingdoms took more notice of Burma [Applause] even China had little impact on the kanban Dynasty and King sinbushin indeed the opposite was the case at one time the Burmese even managed to penetrate Chinese territory [Music] foreign [Music] it was built in the middle of the 15th century unfortunately little has survived from this period in 1838 a devastating earthquake destroyed most of the sanctuary [Music] today the temple complex contains a fascinating collection of sacred Treasures everything is golden and resplendent [Music] the beauty of the architecture that blends into sakain's Hills is only surpassed by the natural magnificence of the local butterflies [Music] over 5 000 monks and nuns live in sagaying the capital of this province their numbers highlight the importance of this place for the Buddhist religion [Music] the city is also a place of teaching who International Buddhist Academy has been well respected for many years [Music] a more beautiful setting is difficult to imagine it is an ideal place for meditation and everywhere there are the various Buddha figures that decorate the umen tonse pagoda foreign [Music] the numerous Temple complexes are interesting enough but there's also a large variety of art and architecture in sagaying's Hills there's always something new to discover here [Music] the magical atmosphere of the buildings has lost nothing of its Allure the beauty of the pagodas most of which are adorned with gold never fail to keep their appeal foreign religious buildings in the environs of sagaying date back to the inwa period that marked a cultural High season in the history of the ancient Burmese kingdoms [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sagaing is unique indeed the region contains more than 600 Monastery complexes that along with several magnificent sanctuaries and stupas make the Iowa Landscape even more impressive [Music] foreign early in the morning the streets of Mandalay the legendary last capital of the Burmese kingdom are peaceful there's hardly any traffic [Music] a good time of the day to admire the beauty of the city's historic buildings particularly the Royal Palace [Music] [Music] the dimensions of the palace complex are remarkable and indicate the former wealth of the Burmese monarchy this four square kilometer area boasts one magnificent building after another [Music] the foundation stone for the city of Mandalay and its Royal Palace was laid on the 13th of February 1857. [Music] the date was set by an astrologist King mindon who ordered the building of this city was a devout follower of Buddhism so the planning of the city of Mandalay and the Royal Palace was carried out according to Buddhist Doctrine and tradition for his people King mindon made Buddhism an important part of daily life Mandalay not only became famous as being the residents of the Burmese monarchy trade also prospered due to the large variety of arts and crafts created here few other cities in Myanmar contain such a large variety of creative workshops as does Mandalay Gold Leaf production is always in demand here the sheer number of temples guarantees that [Music] Technical and artistic ability of the local Master Builders is evident in the kutador Pagoda known as the largest book in the world as with most of the city's historic buildings this fascinating Sanctuary dates back to the time of King mindon foreign the temple complex contains the complete collection of terivada Buddhism text the tibitaka the letters of the text contained on the collection 729 marble plates were originally covered with gold leaf the sandamani Pagoda contains famous texts from the palikanon that was carved onto 1774 plates [Music] although King Min Don attempted to put the country's belligerent past behind him by way of adhering to Buddhist ideals hostility was never too far away [Music] the sandamani Pagoda was built as a memorial to an assassinated Royal Prince [Music] the shui in bin Monastery is one of the few older buildings in Mandalay that was not built by command of King mindon but by a commoner a wealthy Trader in precious stones who originated from China founded this Monastery in 1895. he created what was to become one of Burma's last Monastery complexes [Applause] [Music] each year at the beginning of October Mandalay's large Pagoda Festival begins and the kyotagi Pagoda is at the heart of the festivities the people of Mandalay enjoy their celebrations [Music] [Applause] foreign was modeled on one of the same name that was located in the old capital city of amarapura the center of worship is a Buddha statue on each of the four sides of the main Shrine stand 20 figures Buddha's pupils [Music] one of the city's most famous landmarks that also inspired the location of this city is an idyllic 236 meter high hill Mandalay Hill [Music] thank you [Music] It is believed that Buddha once stayed on this picturesque Hill in the north of the city so it is a holy place over the years several pagodas have been built here a shrine on Mandalay Hill contains three of Buddha's bones they are known as the Peshawar relics [Music] Mount Pupa and also the volcano below Don kalat are also important to the inhabitants of Myanmar the rock is said to be home to 37 magic Spirits not only the countless monkeys that are also to be found there [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mount Pupa is the home of the gnats restless and dangerous spirits that are a part of everyday life here the NAT cult still exists in spite of Buddhism [Music] long before Buddhism arrived here each Village had its own protective Spirit to ward off hostile and mischievous ghosts [Applause] foreign cult originated from an ancient belief in ghosts and spirits in fact the variety of ghosts and spirits was boundless [Music] in the 11th century and right up to the time of the first Burmese realm the spirit world was standardized since that time 37 gnats have served as protective Spirits for places people and life in general most of the gnats are closely connected with the Burmese royal family [Music] oh [Music] even today traditional ceremonies and festivals take place to honor the gnats they're known as Nat press dusk is the most beautiful time of the day in the city of begun [Music] there are few old and historic buildings and Palace ruins to be found in began indeed it's no written history of this place only Splendid temples [Music] breathtakingly beautiful sanctuaries of begun more than compensate for its lack of Royal palaces [Music] our visit to the 40 square kilometer Temple District within Vega is one of the main cultural highlights of this journey through Southeast Asia [Music] some distance away from the expensive tourist Trail are a number of abandoned and decaying buildings foreign due to the large area covered by the temple district and the tropical temperatures traveling by Carriage is a welcome relief the rise of bear gun to becoming the capital of the kingdom of Burma and also the country's largest Buddhist Metropolis began in the middle of the 11th century the city's High season came with the successful military campaign of King anarata [Music] the conquest of the monrealm in 1057 brought the monarchy not only material booty from the inferior mon capital of tarton three hundred thousand prisoners were brought to began including the elite as well as many artists and Master Builders in subsequent years began was greatly expanded to a large path this was due to the mon workers who had been brought here from Teton for 200 years further temples and pagodas were built here [Music] the tilo minlo temple was the last large sanctuary of Burmese design ordered its construction in 1211. [Music] completed in 1287 the Ming Gala zedi Pagoda was the last important Monument of the old Royal City of begun the decline of this shining Metropolis of more than 200 000 inhabitants had already set in numerous lackluster Kings growing economic problems and increasing hostility from the Shan and the northeast of the country had weakened the begun realm as the Mongols also demanded suitable tribute foreign foreign in the same year led to the conquest of the city by the mighty Army of Kublai Khan Myanmar is one of the few countries in the world that with its long and dramatic history and ancient culture is even today full of Marvel and Mystique foreign Ty known as the land of golden pagodas the beauty of these sacred old buildings is just a hint of the former magnificence of ancient Burma [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Expoza Travel

Views: 47,841

Keywords: adventure, travel, expoza, Travel Channel (TV Network), burma, channel, highlights, buildings, tips, history, videos, discovery, world, tour, trip, Architecture (Professional Field), beautiful, Myanmar (Country), Pagoda, old, guides, Asia (Continent), Burma, guide, video, travel video, Video, documentary, essentials, guided

Id: xOw1BTj_dj4

Length: 51min 52sec (3112 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 26 2014