It is in architecture that one sees the strongest evidence of Myanmar artistic skill and accomplishment. Myanmar is a country of “zedi”, often called “pagodas” or “stupa” for a clearer meaning in English. Wherever you are – boating down the river, driving through the hills, even flying above the plains – there always seems to be a hilltop zedi in view. Bagan is the most dramatic result of this fervour for religious monuments – an enthusiasm that continues today, as the mass rebuilding of temples at the site attests.
Traditionally, only zedi (the solid, bell-shaped pagoda), gu (the cave pagoda) and pahto (the hollow square pagoda) have been made of permanent materials. Until quite recently all secular buildings – and most monasteries – were constructed of wood, so there are few old ones left to be seen. Even the great royal palaces, such as the last one at Mandalay, were made of wood. No original ones remain and the reconstructions are often far from faithful reproductions.
Zedi Styles
Early zedi were usually hemispherical (the Kaunghmudaw at Sagaing near Mandalay) or bulbous (the Bupaya in Bagan). The so-called Monstyle pahto is a large cube with small windows and ground-level passageways; this type is also known as a gu or ku (from the Pali-Sanskrit guha, meaning ‘cave’). The more modern style is much more graceful – a curvaceous lower bell merging into a soaring spire, such as the Shwedagon Paya in Yangon or the Uppatasanti Paya in Nay Pyi Taw.
The overall Bamar concept is similar to that of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids of Mesoamerica: worshippers climb a symbolic mountain lined with religious reliefs and frescoes.
Style is not always a good indicator of the original age of a zedi, as Myanmar is earthquake-prone and many (including the Shwedagon) have been rebuilt again and again. In places such as Bagan and Inthein, near Inle Lake, ruined temples have been rebuilt from the base up with little jf no respect for the what the original would have looked like. In Bagan, for example, all zedi would have been traditionally covered with white or painted stucco, not left as the bare brick structures they are today.
Other Buildings
Although so little remains of the old wooden architectural skills, there are still many excellent wooden buildings to be seen. The people of Myanmar continue to use teak with great skill, and a fine country home can be a very pleasing structure indeed.
While many buildings erected during the British colonial period have been demolished or are facing the wrecking ball, those that survive are often well worth seeking out. They range from the rustic wood-and-plaster Hidor villas of Pyin Oo Lwin to the thick-walled, brick-and-plaster, colonnaded mansions and shop houses of Yangon, Mawlamyine and Myeik.
An interesting example of a fusion of Myanmar and European styles is the City Hall building in Yangon. Until recently scant attention was paid to preserving colonial architecture – for political as well as economic reasons. In March 2011, The Irrawaddy reported that five major colonial-era buildings in Yangon (the former Prime Minister’s Office, and the former Ministries of Energy; Hotels and Tourism; Immigration and Population; and Commerce) would be preserved in an effort to attract more tourists.
Source: Lonely Planet
Photo: Hoang Ngan Do – HIT Myanmar
