“Shades of red, green, yellow and black have remained a common colour scheme up to the modern day, with occasional bursts of gold leaf paint to I contrast with darker backgrounds.”

By Jessica Mudditt

Sooner rather than later, the ancient city of Bagan will be recognised for the world wonder it truly is. In the meantime, while the UNESCO jury is out and its thousand-year-old temples remain largely unknown to the outside world, those who experience it firsthand will be amply rewarded in ways that tourists of the future may never be able to fathom. Certainly, some of Bagan’s 2,000 existing temples were restored with too modern a touch during the military era, but it’s fair to say that its overall aesthetic magnitude has not been diminished. One can only wonder about what Bagan (formerly known as Pagan) looked like from the 9th to 12th centuries, when the Pagan dynasty was flourishing and more than 10,000 temples were constructed.

Though beautiful year round, the most comfortable period to visit Bagan is from November to February, when Myanmar’s central plains cool to a level likely to be considered acceptable to visitors who reside farther from the equator. Cycling its vast surroundings is economical yet ill advised, as most of the tracks leading to the seemingly abandoned, magical looking temples are narrow and sandy. Even during “winter,” noontime in Bagan can be oppressively hot and despite the flat terrain, distances can be intimidating. Hiring a horse and cart is a quaint alternative, but do remember that even on the tarmac roads you’ll never travel more than eight kilometers an hour, which can be frustrating unless it’s a short journey. Motorcycles are available, as are cumbersome AC taxis (because you’ll find yourself walking for the greater part of your day due to those narrow tracks). Far and away the best option is to hire an electric bicycle manufactured in China. Pretty much every hotel has a supply and they cost around 8,000 kyats a day. The popularity of electric bicycles is a blessing for Bagan because they emit virtually no noise or pollution and travel at speeds that will satisfy curious travelers while not endangering the reckless.

Pedaling around Bagan

Or hire an electric bicycle manufactured in China

When visiting Bagan, it’s best to have a plan: Without one you may find yourself overwhelmed and frustrated – or at worst, completely lost. Maps are available at Nyaung U’s bus station and local kiosks, should your hotel fail to provide one. Spending a bit of time researching Bagan’s visual feasts before you arrive will also bring rewards, as it’s simply not possible to visit every single temple. And please note that watching a sunrise or sunset from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda’s towering five terraces is an experience you’ll kick yourself if you miss (I know because I very nearly missed it myself). Its panoramic view of the plains and pagodas is nothing less than spectacular. You may even pinch yourself to be sure you’re not hallucinating after a day under the sun. Shwesandaw Pagoda contains hairs of the Lord Buddha buried deep inside and it was built more than a thousand years ago.

From an architectural perspective, Ananda Temple, Dhammayangyi Temple and Thatbyinnyu Temple, each located in Old Bagan, are some of the most outstanding relics of Bagan‘s ancient empire. However, at least a dozen others compete for aesthetic dominance, and the temples’ ornate interiors are another sight altogether (while their high ceilings were deliberately designed eons ago to provide cooler temperatures).

Bagan isn’t only renowned for its magnificent temples: The ancient tradition of craftsmanship in lacquerware is thought to have originated in the 16th century, when large numbers of skilled Thai and Laotian artisans emigrated to Myanmar from an area now known as Chaing Mai in northern Thailand. The artisans belonged to the “Yun” tribe, a term that is still used locally to describe the finest examples of Burmese lacquerware.

Nowadays, the handmade, intricate designs adorn almost every conceivable household item, whether it be bowls, cups, jewellery boxes, coasters or placemats – to name but a few. Shades of red, green, yellow and black have remained a common colour scheme up to the modern day, with occasional bursts of gold leaf paint to contrast with darker backgrounds.

The images often show scenes from Bagan’s palaces and the Jataka tales (which depict the previous lives of Lord Buddha), making lacquerware a particularly memorable souvenir to bring home. As lacquerware is uniformly sturdy yet lightweight (despite comprising an average of 15 layers of “thayo” putty), it’s also a great gift for friends and family, as even a bulk purchase won’t impede the thriftiest of airline baggage allowances.

While these treasured souvenirs may seem a novelty back home, the scholar Sylvia Fraser-Lu explains their significance in the local context: “Lacquerware has been one of the show industries of Burma… The importance of lacquer to Burma probably the equivalent to the modern use porcelain, glass and plastic combined,” she wrote in a book dedicated to the subject in 1985.

Sadly, long-established tradition of craftsmanship are fading and the numbers of workshops are dwindling. Making the effort to visit a workshop in Bagan is well worth it – the workshop in Myinkabar Village is highly recommended, as its artisans are proudly passionate about preserving local traditions. As the popularity of lacquerware has grown in line with the surge in tourist arrivals to what is arguably Myanmar’s number one tourist destination, “copy-cat” items of inferior quality are appearing on the market. Shoppers are therefore advised to invest a bit of time comparing various products and prices, and to avoid opting for the cheapest item available, despite any seeming likeness in appearance. Negotiating prices is also expected – however, please take note that once you’ve named a price you’re willing to pay, walking away empty-handed is considered rather rude according to Burmese custom. An increasingly common marketing ploy among lacquerware sellers is to hold up the flame of a cigarette lighter against a product and pledge it will last forever, no matter the climate or cooking conditions (such as a nasty microwave). A pinch of wariness isn’t unjustified, as some tourists, such as the long-returning visitor Bronwyn Howard from Australia, has noticed that many of the cheaper-end products available nowadays are susceptible to wear and tear.

By contrast, Dutch national Larissa Korporaal said that the lacquerware products she bought in Bagan 20 years ago are “still pretty.” An Australian tourist named Lisa O’Donnell said that she spent around USD$15 on a placemat and a tissue box some years ago, and that neither has suffered in cooler climates. Ultimately, any purchase made in Bagan is a matter of personal taste and judgment. That said, leaving Bagan’s archaeological treasure trove completely empty-handed of the century-old skills available to purchase is a decision you’ll likely regret – no matter how vivid your memories are of its awe-inspiring landscape.

Tradition in action:

Bagan’s Shwe Pyi Daw Lacquerware Workshop

For almost 200 years, Bagan has been the major hub of lacquerware production in Myanmar. Paying a visit to the Shwe Pyi Daw Lacquerware Workshop in Myinkaba Village provides a fascinating glimpse of the living past, as its intricately designed lacquerware products are created according to centuries-old techniques. It’s also a family business that’s existed for three generations. Its current owners are U Soe Myint and Daw San, a husband and wife duo who share a passion for maintaining the cultural authenticity of local lacquerware – as do their children. Lacquerware is among Myanmar’s most distinctive decorative items, while also having practical value due its ability to withstand heat and humidity. While some of the items produced at the workshop have a modem flourish, such as coasters and placemats, the workshop also produces plain black lacquerware for day- to-day use among the local population, such as utensils and neat containers to store the hugely popular laphet thoke snack (pickled tea leaf salad).

In Burmese language, lacquerware is called yun-de, while the art of creating the multi-faceted designs adorning it is known as pan yun. As plastics, porcelain and metal have now superseded lacquer in everyday use (sadly, for what seems no other reason than the latter are more affordable), Shwe Pyi Daw Workshop plays a vital role in preserving Burmese art and culture. Every engraving is crafted by hand rather than with a machine: Don’t expect to see one of the workshop’s larger works completed during your visit to the workshop, as it can take up to three months (or even a year!) to complete a single product, which is the culmination of a small team’s meticulous efforts rather than the work of an individual artisan. In a world where synthetic materials are often used to enhance appearances, the fact that lacquerware’s glossiness is obtained from sap tapped from a particular species of tree called the Melanorrhoea usitata, which is native to Myanmar, is impressive. Rest assured that every purchase made at Shwe Pyi Daw Workshop is eco-friendly, because only natural ingredients are used.

Worry not, however, if you’re not able to observe the workshop operating firsthand: Its products are also available at the Lapyaewun Lacquerware Store (99 Central Arcade, Bogyoke Aung San Market, Yangon, Myanmar 1143, +95 9 5175990, +95 1 240966 Ext: 718, lapyaetwun. bumeselacquer@gmail.com) in Yangon’s best known spot for retail crafts, Bogyoke Market, which is located on Bogyoke Road in the bustling downtown area. While Shwe Pyi Daw Workshop is facing an increasing amount of competition in the trade, as tourists have started flooding into Myanmar and are by-and-large eager to take home a souvenir that represents the nation’s cultural and artistic heritage, this workshop long ago established a reputation for producing some of the loveliest lacquerware you’ll ever find.

Source: SWIFT – Asian Wings Airways