Ministry issues warnings against ultraviolet rays

Yangon April 27

The Ministry of Health and Sports issued health warnings against exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays as summer has already entered. 

Prolonged human exposure to solar UV radiation may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eye and immune system. Sunburn is the best-known acute effect of excessive UV radiation exposure.

Over the longer term, UV radiation induces degenerative changes in cells of the skin, fibrous tissue and blood vessels leading to premature skin aging, photodermatoses and actinic keratoses. Another longterm effect is an inflammatory reaction of the eye. In the most serious cases, skin cancer and cataracts can occur.

Therefore, the report advised people to abstain from working and travelling under the summer sun as much as they can. Moreover, people should wear hats and take umbrellas to avoid direct contact of sunlight to the face, neck and shoulders when they go outside. Also, people should wear Thanakha and suncream which includes SPF 15+ on hands, neck and shoulders before they go outside. The report also described that the suncream should be worn every two hours. As there is more impact of UV rays upon children rather than adults, infants under one year should not be taken under the sunlight and they should be placed in the shade, said the Ministry of Health and Sports.

“The summertime is from March to May, so now is only the beginning. There is still more time left, and I expect it to become even hotter,” said U Aung Thu who lives in Yangon, adding that temperatures were rising due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asia.

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Weaving industry in Bago in need of government subsidies

Photo shows a woman weaving cloth from the cotton at the loom.

Yangon November 16

Myanmar’s weaving industry needs small and medium enterprise (SME) loans for its development, according to weavers from the model village of Kyar Tet in Bago’s Kawa Township.

The village boasts the largest population of weavers in Bago Region with around 200 looms compared to its 600 households.

“Almost everyone can weave in our village. Previously, I used to weave at my house with my own loom. But as I have no capital now, I have to work at other people’s looms. I think the weaving industry is in need of subsidies for development,” said weaver Ma Mya Pan Kyi.

A loom costs around Ks-700,000, according to villagers. While some households have up to ten looms, some villagers have to work at those looms. And weavers in Kyar Tet Village are  concerned that the industrial development in Bago Region will have adverse impact on the weaving industry and face the same fate like Kyauktan which once had a thriving weaving industry.

“Previously, weaving business was most thriving in Kyauktan. But now, there have been many factories [in Bago], and they provide ferry service. So, many people have quitted the weaving industry, resulting in its decline. So, we hope we can get loans for its revival in our village,” she said.

The village mainly produces design patterns of Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Rawang and so on. And the products are mainly distributed to Theingyi Market and Kawa Township, are priced between Ks-4,000 and Ks-6,000. 

“The business is not bad as Myanmar traditional dresses are popular these days. But if we get loans, we will be able to expand the business and those who have to work at other people’s looms may also be able to set up their own business,” she said.

The Myawady Daily

Fantasies come to life at Myanmar ‘cosplay’ convention

Myanmar cosplayers perform on stage and pose for photographs at a cosplay festival in Yangon. (AFP photo)

Yangon April 25

Purple-haired princesses, wolves and dolled-up maids mingled at a ‘‘cosplay” fantasy costume festival held this weekend in Myanmar, where the global role-playing craze is building up a cult following.

Hundreds gathered at the twoday convention in Yangon to enter singing competitions and chat with others sporting the colourful garb, elaborate make-up and exotic hairstyles of their fantasy idols.

In cosplay, short for costume role-play, enthusiasts gather to imitate characters from anime series, comics and video games, many drawn from Japanese pop culture.

Chuu Kay Khine, who attended the event dressed as a Japanese anime character, told AFP she was still eager for more fantasy fans to play with.

‘‘The more people that know about it and the more friends we have the better,” said the 21-yearold. ‘‘Then we could have even more fun.”

Many of the eye-popping costumes on display in Myanmar's biggest city were imported from neighbouring Thailand and China, while others were homespun or specially tailored for the occasion.

The cosplay fad has swept much of the world but is still relatively new in Myanmar, where young people are racing to catch up with international trends a few years after Internet restrictions were lifted. 

This year's festival is the eighth since the hobby first found a footing in the Southeast Asian country in 2012, shortly after a reformist government began loosening the military's grip on freedom of expression.

It is now one of a host of new subcultures mushrooming across Myanmar as it hurtles into a what promises to be a new era of freedom under a recently elected government.

Yet like fringe fads everywhere, Myanmar's cosplay scene has not been met with universal enthusiasm.

‘‘The main difficulty is trying to get people to accept the culture of cosplay in our country. We have to keep explaining it,” Lin Aung Kyaw, a 24-year-old who helped organise the event, told AFP.

‘‘Some animated series are just as good as films, with very meaningful plots,” he added.

The Myawady Daily

‘‘Save Bagan” launched to protect Myanmar’s archeological showcase

Yangon June 3

In its efforts to protect and preserve Bagan, the archaeological showcase of the country, Myanmar Association of Architects launched ‘‘Save Bagan’’ plan in May and tasked a separate committee with the plan.

Myanmar Association of Architects and Myanmar Engineering Society will team up to implement the plan that includes protecting against pagodas, stupas and archaeological edifices against natural disasters and man-made damages. As part of the plan, survey will be carried out to review the zoning of current hotel zones.

The Culture Ministry has designated Bagan (Right) as protected archaeological zone under 1998 Cultural Heritage Zones Conservation Law. It has applied for UNESCO’s recognition of the zone as world’s heritage site and restoring the area in line with instructions from UNESCO.

The current to-do list for Bagan to get UNESCO’s recognition includes re-zoning the area and immediate management plans. The UNESCO will help with Myanmar in implementing the latter.

At present, tourist arrivals Bagan have been on the increase as Lonely Planet, a worldwide influential tourism website ranks Bagan top of the list of top-ten favorable tourist destinations for 2015. (447)

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Growing foreign demand for Myanmar’s bamboo scratch pics and mosaics

Yangon May 21

The foreign demand for bamboo scratch pictures and mosaics depicting Myanmar traditional culture has increased significantly, said U Than Aung, owner of Myanmar traditional handicrafts shop.

The rising demand has directly benefitted the painters, who previously had to wait buyers to get their paintings sold out. Painters now are hired for monthly salary plus commission on paintings he
makes.

“Previously, we chose the paintings of artists and paid for works we bought. But now, as the foreign demand has increased, we hire artists with monthly salary. We ask them to draw according to the samples we provide. We also give commission. So, this is beneficial to both us. In the past, they could sell their paintings only when there were buyers.

Although bamboo scratch paintings were not so popular among foreigners previously, they then receive growing interests from foreigners as the paintings are drawn to their tastes, said the painters.

“It is very interesting to scratch out bamboo paintings. In the past, we drew our culture and foreign buyers were not much interested in it. Then, Japanese tourists came and we draw their tradition in front of them. Then, there have been constant orders from Japan. And Korea and Dubai in Asia also place orders so do Germany, US and England from Europe,” said bamboo scratch painter U Myint Han.

Thailand is the major buyer of Myanmar’s mosaics, with increasing demand from China and Japan while only US and England are the Europe countries that buy Myanmar’s mosaics.

The price of a mosaic varies between 10,000 kyats and 200,000 kyats according to size and that of a bamboo scratch painting is between 5,000 kyats and 20,000 kyats.

Htet Nay

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A pagoda well worth a visit

A pagoda well worth a visit

= Nadi Nain =

Located in the very heart of Yangon, the ancient goldgilded stupa stands impressively as the symbol of Myanmar’s commercial capital where trade, investment and other financial activities are centered. Unfortunately, in some cases local people as well as tourists passed by the pagoda unnoticed as mostly the area around this stupa is congested with traffi c on the roads, teeming with pedestrians and vendors on the platforms, crowded with consumers and shoppers at the stores, packed with gobblers at the restaurants, and busy with clients and staff at the government departments.

It is the Sule Pagoda which is said to be over 2500 years old. The stupa’s Mon name is Kyaik Athok roughly meaning “the pagoda where a Sacred Hair Relic is enshrined” as the religious edifice is holding a hair of the Buddha in its reliquary (Mon are highly civilized people living in the southern parts of Myanmar since very early times). So, the pagoda is well worth a visit as it has many other significant characters.

It was in the middle of 19th century during the very early times of British occupation that Lt. Alexander Fraser of the Bengal Engineers drew the Yangon city plan with Sule Pagoda as the center. In fact, the present street layout of central Yangon was created by Lt. Fraser who also lent his name to Fraser Street, now Anawrattha Street and still one of the main urban streets of this commercial city. 

On account of its strategic location, holiness and architectural design, other town planners including King Thayawaddy and Montgomery also made Sule Pagoda as the hub of Yangon.

The architectural design of the octagonal shape stupa is Mon style with each side 24 feet long, and its height is 152 feet. Circling the main stupa are ten bronze bells on which the names of donors and the donation dates are inscribed.

Legend has it that Sule Pagoda marks the site where King Okkalapa organized assemblies or meetings to build Shwedagon. So, the place was called “Su-Wei” in Myanmar language meaning “meeting” or “gathering”. Time passed and the word “Su-Wei” changed to “Su- Le”. So, a pagoda named Sule is built at the place in commemoration of the meetings. The pagoda has four archways facing the four main directions. There are also two overhead bridges linking with the pagoda platform.

Very close to the sutpa outside its southern corner, is the Myanmar Travel and Tours offi ce. On the pagoda platform are pilgrims making donations in cash and kind, keeping Sabath, practicing vipassana, paying obeisance to the Buddha images or performing meritorious deeds. The pagoda also offers the spectacular view of the impressive City Hall of Myanmar architectural design, the imposing Independence Pillar in the pleasant Mahabandoola Park, the grand Immanuel Church, the colonial design High Court buildings, and major through streets from different directions making a course around Sule Pagoda hillock. The stupa also presents a first-class location to take pleasure in the cityscape and the ever busy city life of the commercial capital especially for foreigners.

Sule pagoda is also a worthy subject for photographers. But it is its age (over 2500 years old), magnificent architectural works, rich culture, wonderful shape and the gold that is gilded over its surface make it so much more sacred and stunning for pilgrims as well as other visitors.

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The festival of pouring water on Bo trees

The festival of pouring water on Bo trees

= Dr Aung Than Win (OS) =

Kason is the second month in Myanmar calendar during which the festival of pouring water on Bo trees is observed in every part of the country. Temperatures are high in this month, which can also be said the hottest period of the year in many parts of Myanmar. The burning sun has dried up many lakes and streams especially in the central arid zone. The Visākhā star is radiant in this month and the seasonal flowers are Champac (cakawar), ingin and kantkaw. According to Myanmar Zodiac it’s in the period of Pyeittha (Taurus) whose sign is the leading bull of the herd.

The full moon day of Kason is deeply intertwined with the milestones in the Buddhas life. Once on this day Dipankara Buddha prophesied to the hermit Sumedha that he would become Gotama Buddha. And on this day also Bodhisatta Siddhatta was born in Mahā era 68, and attained enlightenment in Mahā era 103, thus becoming omniscience. After teaching and disseminating Dhamma or Buddhist doctrines for 45 years, He entered Nibbāna on this very same day in Mahā era 148. Hence, the full moon day of Kason is so sacred and important for Buddhist devotees.

Truly the sacred Bo Tree or the Mahābodhi tree provided shelter and accommodation for Buddha to attain enlightenment. So, Buddhists regard Bo tree as highly revered since it was an incredibly helpful aid for Buddha. In this regard, Buddhists annually observe the day as a signifi cant religious Day on which they gather at monasteries, temples and pagodas pouring water on Bo trees, keeping Sabbath and doing meritorious deeds en masse.

According to some treatises, the tradition of pouring water on Bo trees began even during the life time of Buddha. Lay people came and paid respect to Buddha at Jetavana monastery. But during the times when Buddha was visiting other places devotees could not have the chance to seek Dhamma from Him. Therefore the Buddha brought seeds of original Bo tree for planting new Bo trees which would represent Him during his absence. The Buddha entered the state of Nirod has amāpatti one night under Bo tree which sprouted and developed immediately because of His miraculous power. King Pasenadī Kosala, Anā thapia, Visākhā and other lay people donated daily offertories such as flowers, lights and fragrance and meals. The King and his subjects poured water on Bo tree in a gala procession and in a festive way in the driest month of Kason to protect it from withering under the scorching sun and intense heat. In this way the festival of pouring water on sacred Bo trees came into being.

Pouring water on Bo trees is not just a seasonal festival. It is a holy occasion observed with solemn religious significance. A stone inscription at Saw La Wun pagoda testifies that people in Myanmar were pouring water on Bo trees in the month of Kason since the Bagan period. People in every Theravâda Buddhist country celebrate this festival with solemn objectives as the day is four times blessed. Lay people who pour water on Bo trees received the five precepts from monks who also recite parittas for peace and prosperity of mankind. Afterwards devotees gently pour water which is mixed with fragrance on Bo tree from every corner. Therefore the full moon day of Kason is very important for Buddhist devotees and the day is also marked as Buddha Day by the United Nations.

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" More pious deeds than fun "

" More pious deeds than fun "

= Maung Than Weik =

The whole country was in festive mood again, as we were enjoying the Thingyan Water Festival for four consecutive days before celebrating the Myanmar New Year on the 17th of this month.

Cool water and clean fun

In the wards, little boys and little girls were splashing cool and clean water at the people while adults were filling their tubs and giving protection to these kids. Revelers mostly teens went around town in search of water-throwing pavilions that were also entertaining the public with dances and songs.

Decorated fl oats roamed cities and towns presenting a variety of dances and songs the whole day till late evenings during the festival. There were also decorated float competitions and decorated water-throwing pavilion contests in big cities like Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay and also in many major towns. Film stars and pop idols also joined in the festival entertaining the general public with songs and dances on the stages of waterthrowing pavilions or on the decorated fl oats. People were happy to see their favorite film and pop celebrities in person. On some stages, famous comedians cracked clean jokes or sang amusing antiphonal chants adding extra joy and fun to the festival. In fact, the tradition of pouring water on one another is the act of cooling the body and purifying the mind so that we can start the New Year with fresh vigor and spirit.

Pious deeds

Some communities set up pavilions where donors with the contribution of volunteers served food or snacks to everyone free of charge for five days throughout the New Year festival. People young and old retreated to meditation centres where they practiced vipassana which according to teachings of Buddha is the only way to Nirvana, while others entered religious order temporarily. So many men become monks and women become nuns during the Thingyan holidays. Most of the elder people go to monasteries where they sought Dhamma from the venerable or learned monks, kept Sabbath and shared Dhamma knowledge among themselves. 

On the final day or the New Year Day of the festival people focused only on one thing – “doing meritorious deeds”. They released a large number of fish, birds and other animals, helped senior citizens at their homes or at the homes for the aged, provided sanitation or other social services in the communities and wards, visited pagodas and monasteries where they made donations in cash and kind apart from contributing voluntarily labor services, or kept Sabbath and learned Dhamma from monks. Religious edifices especially pagodas in Yangon were always overcrowded on the New Year Day with pilgrims from around the country with a single holy purpose – opening the New Year with meritorious deeds! In point of fact, the whole Thingyan including the New Year Day is a sacred occasion, during which the whole country is in religious atmosphere.

So every year we the Buddhist people of Myanmar celebrate Thingyan with more pious deeds than fun.

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" The soul of Myanmar people "

* Nadi Nain *

Wall paintings have been an important part of the history of human civilization since many years ago. Whether they are on the walls of the caves or churches or pagodas or temples or any other edifices of olden days, they are always good story tellers. A cave painting normally shows the picture of how human beings lived during the Stone Age or prehistoric times. Judging by the characters, costumes or architecture depicted in paintings we can say whether these early people were gatherers or hunters; whether they lived in clans, big families or communities. Besides we can also know their diet, tools, lifestyles, practices, industries and other important historical facts. And when civilization advanced, people began to build large edifices including castles, palaces, social centers, religious buildings and other complex structures. And most of these buildings were decorated with fi ne architectural designs and artistic works, and some have paintings on the walls. In reality, these wall paintings or in other words murals are the mirrors from which we can look back at the history in a realistic way.

The world’s earliest known and the fi nest preserved wall paintings can be found in Chauvet Cave in Artdeche department of southern France. They date back to Upper Paleo lithic times around 30,000 BC. The Upper Paleolithic or the Late Stone Age is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly, it dates back between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. A large number of ancient wall paintings can also be found in Egyptian tombs (around 3150 BC).

Nowadays, many rural towns in some other countries have begun using murals to create tourist attractions with the intention of boosting economic income, which is a good example for Myanmar as we are already familiar with this kind of artistic works.

In our country, the best known murals can be found on the walls of religious buildings large and small in Bagan the showcase of ancient Myanmar culture. These wall paintings bear witness to the fact that we have been a highly civilized people since the very early times. What’s more, they also serve as the vitally important source in rediscovering the Bagan-period dance and music we proudly staged at the opening ceremony of the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Nay Pyi Taw!

Additionally, these murals are the source of foreign exchange income as tourists from around the world love watching or studying them during their visits to the religious edifices of Bagan ancient cultural zone a famous tourist hot spot in Asia.

As Bagan possesses a very large number of priceless cultural wonders including the murals, these heritages and artifacts are covered by a gigantic conservation project.

As for the conservation of these murals, Myanmar is working in cooperation with UNESCO, a UN agency that is running courses on conservation of ancient artifacts in the country. Moreover, the country will open a laboratory for conserving the murals effectively and scientifically.

In point of fact, all the ancient cultural heritages are the pride of the people or the identity of the country. So murals and other ancient cultural artifacts and structures can be said the soul of Myanmar people

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