Thanakha is a kind of tree, the bark and
roots of which are used in making a fragrant
paste for cosmetic purposes. It is ground
into a paste on a flat stone and applied on
the face and other parts of the body as a
sun block. Thanaka cools and refreshes your
skin and improves your complexion.
Myanmar Traditional Clothing
Myanmar has preserved the tradition of
wearing their simple native dress. They are
used to wearing light casul wear almost all
year round. It consists of a Myanmar coat or
jacket (taitpon), shirt and longyi for
men.Women wear a hta-me (similar to longyi)
, which is worn with a blouse. Velvet
slippers are the traditional footwear.
Chinlone
Chinlone is a traditional Myanmar sport
play with a cane ball (chinlone). There are
five players (either men or women)with many
different ways of playing and rules.
Maneuvering the cane ball is done in
different ways such as Phawa, Du, Gone Man,
Salwel, Chay Gwin, Chay Pha, etc.
Shopping Tips
Visitors can shop in the downtown
open-air market or, while on the road.You
must be careful of the price and quality of
items.
You are advised to buy jewels and gems at
the Myanmar Gems Museum in Yangon or at
authorized jewelers' mart where you will get
a voucher with a permit for export. The duty
free allowance is for two cartons of
cigarette 100 cigars, two bottle of liquor
and half a liter of perfume.
Myanmar Rubies
Myanmar's Mogok rubies can be found
nowhere else in the world. The special
gravity of the ruby is 3.99, which is
heavier than garnet or red spinal. It emits
different shades of fluorescence when
exposed to ultra violet light. It is best to
buy the Mogoke rubies at the authorized gold
& jewelers shops in Myanmar. Avoid, buying
them on the streets or non-authorized shops.
Myanmar Jade
Myanmar's imperial jades are among the
world's best.
Myanmar Sapphire
Sapphires from Myanmar are highly valued
in the world's gems market.
Myanmar Treasures
Some of the many Myanmar Treasures
consist of the following:
Antiques folks art pieces. They
include metal boxes, carvings, bronze pieces
cast in the shapes of animals and birds, old
fabrics & weavings and countless others
mysterious but charming pieces.
Carvings. Myanmar craftsman are
highly skilled in carving materials ranging
from bone, wood and jade. Sandalwood Buddha
images or figurines and jewelry carved from
jade make prized souvenirs.
Fabrics. They include hand-woven
cottons and silks that are plentiful in
virtually all colors of the rainbow. Fabrics
and exotic blankets hand woven by the ethnic
hill tribes are also highly valued.
Gems and Jewelry. They include jade,
rubies, sapphires and pearls and are
available in Myanmar in many colors and
size. Silver and gold pearls ,while pricey ,
are worth the investment. Twice a year there
gems emporium sales at Gems Museum.
Lacquer- Ware. Myanmar is famous for
its lacquer - ware which comes in many forms
including: plain red, black & gold, etched
with a color-filled design, gilded, or
embellished with mirror inlays and fake
gems.
Marionettes. The marionettes theatre
is a grand tradition of Myanmar culture.
These puppets once bore bad news to the
kings that human messengers dared not utter.
They are available in all sizes, gorgeously
dressed in faux gems and operated by skilled
puppeteers.
Paintings. Many galleries and shops
offer exquisite water colors, a medium in
which the local artists in Myanmar excel.
Glaze Ware. Pottery and basketry
blazes ware can still be found in many
people' homes in Myanmar to store grain,
oil, or water. They were produced in large
numbers for both domestic use and for
export.
Caning. It is well a well –
established art from in Myanmar as is
evidenced by the abundance of bamboo
furniture, baskets, bags and other utensils
of found in many markets.
Silver. Bowls and other artifacts of
silver are hammered by hand ,as are
traditional items such as small boxes
decorated with filigree or relief work,
showing traditional motifs, mystical
creatures or scenes of the people. The
smaller silverware boxes make excellent
pillboxes.
Tapestries. They depict scenes of
local life or traditional motifs. Tapestries
in Myanmar often are delicately made in gold
and sliver thread and figures are adorned
with silk and brass sequins on a velvet
background. This is the traditional method
of weaving tapestries. Tapestries were once
used in the Royal Place in Myanmar as room
dividers.
National Museum
The National Museum of Myanmar was
founded in 1952 on the Shwedagon Pagoda Road
in Yangon. In 1970 the museum was moved to a
more spacious building in on Pansodan
Street. Since then, the National Museum of
Myanmar, moved again to its present location
in a five-story building on Pyay Road.
There are three halls on the ground floor,
the first displaying the evolution of the
alphabet and Myanmar script, the second
exhibiting Ratanapon Period pieces and the
third containing the Lions Throne Room.
Royal Lion Throne can be found in the lion
throne room. It is made of Yamane timber
adorned with lions at its base. The whole
throne is heavily gilded. The king used this
throne when deliberating with his ministers
on the affairs of state.
There are four halls on the first floor, one
displaying the royal regalia( in which
scenes of royal ceremonies of ancient
Myanmar kings can be seen), a second with
exhibits of Myanmar history ( where there
are clay pots, urms, votive tablets and
necklaces of the Pym Era ), a third with and
exhibit on natural history and the fourth
with displays of prehistoric times ( with
stone weapons of the Neolithic Period and
some bronze weapons of later eras).
The second floor has exhibits on music and
song and dance and on Myanmar culture. The
hall of culture displays modes of
transportation that are still in use in some
rural areas such as bullock cart, Which is
very light and streamlined. It is still
common to use such carts at the pagoda
festivals.
The third floor consists of three exhibition
halls, two of which are for Myanmar painting
and one for ancient ornaments and jewelry.
On the fourth floor, there are halls of
Buddish images and a display of the culture
of the ethnic races of Myanmar.
A trip to the National Museum of Myanmar is
vary worthwhild. In addition to the
priceless ancient artifacts, works of art
and historic memorabilia that you will see,
you will leave the museum with a much
greater understanding of the history, life
and culture of our fascinating country.
