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Arts &
Architecture
For centuries the arts in Burma were sponsored by the royal courts,
mainly through the construction of major religious buildings that re-
quired the skills of architects, sculptors, painters and a variety of crafts-
people. Such patronage was cut short during British colonial rule and
has never been a priority since independence.
However, there are plenty of examples of traditional art to be viewed
in Myanmar, mainly in the temples that are an ever-present feature of
town and countryside. The locals are just as likely as any other people
to take time out to enjoy themselves at a puppet show, watch traditional
dances at festivals or catch up on the latest episode of their favourite
Korean soap opera on TV.Architecture
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’ in English. Wherever you are – boating down the river,
driving through the hills, even fl ying above the plains – there always
seems to be a hilltopzedii 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, gu and pahto (see p 340 ) 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 Man-
dalay, were made of wood. No original ones remain and the reconstruc-
tions are often far from faithful reproductions.Zedi Styles
Early zedii were usually hemispherical (the Kaunghmudaw at Sagaing
near Mandalay) or bulbous (the Bupaya in Bagan). The so-called Mon-
style pahto is a large cube with small windows and ground-level pas-
sageways; this type is also known as a guu or kuu (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 Shwed-
agon Paya in Yangon or the Uppatasanti Paya in Nay Pyi Ta w.
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 littleBest
Buddhist
Buildings» (^) Shwedagon
Paya, Yangon
» (^) Ananda Pahto,
Bagan
» (^) Shwenandaw
Kyaung, Mandalay
» Shwesandaw
Paya, Pyay
» (^) Shittaung Paya,
Mrauk U