Burma's Beginnings

Sunday 12 December – Thursday 16 December

On a hot and dusty plain southeast of Mandalay, more than 2,000 temples stretch to the heavens.  The place is called Bagan, and it is one of the wonders of Asia.  While each monument is different and unique in itself, it is the whole temple-studded expanse that creates the aura of past grandeur and mystery for which Bagan is renowned.

The kingdom of Bagan was founded in 849 AD, but it was not until one King Anawrahta ascended the throne and unified the country that the building frenzy began.  He brought back from his conquests artisans, monks and artists and, legend has it, over 30 elephant-loads of Buddhist scriptures.  Thus the style of the early buildings was influenced by these architects; they were built square and squat with arches and a complex pattern of brickwork.  By the time the most famous Pagoda of Anawrahta’s reign was in construction, a distinctly Burmese style had evolved and the stark lines of earlier monuments dissolved into softer, more fluid contours. 

Building continued for over two centuries and an enormous number of magnificent buildings were erected.  But, in 1287, the city was sacked by the Mongol warlord Kublai Khan and was never rebuilt.  In 1975, an earthquake caused major damage, but funds provided by the United Nations have allowed extensive restoration to take place, and now almost everything of importance has been either restored or reconstructed. 

The buildings range dramatically in size, shape and design.  The predominant building material was red brick and some display the use of white stucco.  Stupas soar above the main structures of the monuments, casting dramatic shadows across the landscape.  Many of them have terraces running around their perimeters at several different levels, and it is from the highest of these that we delighted in the sunrises and sunsets during which the many-templed landscape seemed to glow, pale and watery in the early morning, red and hazy at dusk.  

Impressive, yes.  Unique, certainly.  But worth a 4.00am wakeup call?

Eric, always desperate to capture the ultimate artistic shot, didn’t seem to mind a bit as the phone rang and the front desk informed us our driver was ready each morning, long before dawn.  He was positively disappointed not to be the first person to climb up his chosen pagoda and, as if his enthusiasm needed proving, we have roll upon roll of film featuring sunrises and sunsets of Bagan … not all of them witnessed by Pippa!

It was on the terrace of one such monument, during one such spectacular photo opportunity, that we bumped into Iain once again and joined him for dinner that night (and others that followed) for more great British humor and tales of foreign lands.  Now well into photography mode, Eric (whose first reaction to finding out what professional photographers - like Iain - will pay for their cameras was one of horror) was now convinced that we simply had to purchase a Leica M6.  Having been asked to take a snap or two for Iain, his only explanation for such a change of heart (it was now Pippa who was horrified at the thought of spending so much money) was that it was all to do with the “click”.  There is no question that whatever he remembers of Bagan in 50 years time (with respect to the splendor of the monuments we visited), he will not have forgotten that click.

But we digress.  Of all the monuments in Bagan, the most impressive is considered to be the Shwezigon Pagoda.  It is said to contain important relics of Buddha including two bones and a copy of a tooth but aside from that, it was the first major construction built in the Burmese style following their conversion to Theravada Buddhism.  It is a traditionally shaped golden pagoda and this graceful bell shape was to become a prototype for almost all later stupas across Burma.  Figures of the 37 pre-Buddhist deities, called nats, are on display, and worshippers descend on this pagoda more than any other to wish for good fortune at the revolving wheel inside.

In almost three days, we probably managed to cover most of the more significant monuments, but only a tiny fraction of the 2,217.  You could fill weeks, literally, navigating your way through the maze of constructions dotted across this vast plain but in the time we had, we were pleased with the range of pagodas we had been able to visit and were ready to move on.  But before we left, we took time out from temple spotting to visit some of the local lacquerware artisans and peruse this highly regarded Burmese tradition. 

Bagan is the centre of Burma’s lacquerware industry and has been producing high quality pieces since the time of King Anawrahta.  Articles range from betel boxes to drinking cups, plates and bowls.  The raw black lacquer is sap tapped from the thitsi tree (a variety of sumac), while the frame of each article is woven of bamboo or horsehair.  Coats of lacquer are applied to the frame, dried, colored with a single hue and engraved, then the process is repeated several times to bring through all desired colors on the finished piece.  It is a highly labor-intensive business, and good pieces take a year to make.  It is fascinating to watch the artisans at work and needless to say, we now have several pieces of lacquerware, both antique and modern, adorning our shelves to remind us of this unique Burmese tradition.

From Bagan, we travelled by car to Mount Popa, a few hours drive to the southeast.  This is considered to be the home of the nats that continue to be worshipped long after the country’s adoption of Buddhism.  On the summit of the mountain sits a pagoda, accessed by a partially covered staircase that goes all the way to the top.  At the base is a monastery but by far the most impressive view of the mountain was from a neighbouring hilltop, where we camped out for two days in an eco-lodge watching yet more sunsets and sunrises from our balcony and running our way through yet more film in search of that perfect shot.