Yangon February 23
Plans are under way to designate the Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park as an eco-tourism site, according to Union Minister U Ohn Win for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.
The Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, with an area of 1,605 square kilometres, is the largest national park in the country. The park consists of the Patolon Reserved Forest and the adjoining Taungdwin Reserved Forest.
Daw Khin San Hlaing, an MP of Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives) asked the Union Minister about the question concerned with implementation of the Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park as a nature-based tourism place and the Union Minister gave the above answer.
“Efforts are being made to implement the Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park as a nature-based tourism site,” said Union Minister U Ohn Win.
‘‘The park has already been designated as an ASEAN heritage and, if it becomes a well-known place among foreign visitors, they will higher interest to visit it. It is necessary to make more conservations as a development area,” said Daw Khin San Hlaing.
‘‘With the aim of boosting collaboration of locals and uncovering the opportunities of nature-based tourism industries there, rehabilitation plan from 2017/2018 to 2026/2027 has been drawn up and the projects are being carried out at this time,” said U Ohn Win.
Alaungdaw Kathapa Pagoda holds two back-to-back festivals each year: one on the full moon of the lunar month of Tabodwe (which falls on February 18, 2011), and the other on the full moon of Tabaung (March 19).
The long rough road to Alaungdaw Kathapa from Monywa is also an attraction and challenge for devotees as they believe that harder and riskier their trip is, the worthier their pilgrimage will be. ‘‘According to Buddhist belief, the cave at Alaungdaw Kathapa Pagoda holds the preserved remains of Ashin Maha Kathapa,” said to be one of Gotama Buddha’s most devoted disciples.
The Myawady Daily
No comments:
Post a Comment