Visitors vanish from Asia's most visited sites

As dawn breaks the unmistakable tapered towers of Angkor Wat emerge from the gloom - but for once there are no tourists jostling on its steps to capture Cambodia's most famous sunrise.

Asia's most Instagrammable sites - temples, promenades, shopping streets,

museums and mausoleums - are empty, victims of a virus keeping visitors at home.

The usual crowds have evaporated from Sensoji temple in Tokyo to Shanghai's Bund; abandoning the viewpoint at The Peak in Hong Kong and alleviating the pedestrian crush along Sydney Harbour.

Many of the now vanished visitors are from China - a country whose travelers have completely reshaped the tourist economies of Asia over the last few years, yet where only around 10 percent of the population hold passports.

At the Angkor Wat complex, a 12th century marvel of Khmer architecture whose unique crenellations and reliefs lure millions each year, high season has brought the lowest number of tourists on record.

Chinese-speaking Cambodian guide Hor Sophea has not taken any tours since late January. Several weeks on, money is getting tight.

"I've never seen so few tourists," said the 36-year, gesturing at the large moat inside the Angkor Wat complex, whose gangways normally bustle with selfie-taking hordes but are now empty.

"I am very worried... I don't know how much longer we can carry on like this."

The Angkor complex in Siem Reap province attracts the bulk of the kingdom's foreign tourists -- which hit a record 6.6 million in 2019, nearly half of whom were from China.

But the outbreak of the coronavirus has withered Chinese tourist arrivals by 90 percent.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced tax breaks for hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap for four months to offset the losses.

But the discovery on Saturday of the first Cambodian with the infection - in Siem Reap - is likely to cement the stay-at-home mentality among many travelers.

The economic impact is also cascading across Asia.

In Bali, piers once bristling with arrivals from China are now decorated with moored boats, while in Tokyo the slump in mainland visitors - as well as South Koreans - is hammering restaurants in tourist areas.

At the Tsukiji fish market some restaurants say their take is nearly 70 percent down.

"People stopped coming from China during the Lunar New Year... the streets and shops around here are near-empty," Hiroshi Oya, 61, a cook at a Japanese seafood restaurant told AFP.

"Then South Koreans stopped coming too. The tuna shop next to us decided to close temporarily to avoid running costs," he added.

But for those who are inured to the panic gripping the globe and choose to navigate travel restrictions and the morass of quarantine, a rare privilege of empty sites is their reward.

At the Angkor complex, even Ta Prohm -- the 'Tomb Raider Temple' famed for its embrace by giant tree roots and a Hollywood film franchise -- has only a smattering of visitors each day.

"We're very very lucky. Covid-19 has probably done us a favor," Australian tourist Andres Medenis, who came for sunrise at Angkor Wat, told AFP.

"But the economy is going to be really affected by that... so I feel sorry for the local people." 

The JakartPost

Myanmar (Burma) sees world’s fastest tourism growth

Myanmar ranked highest among the world’s 20 fastest-growing travel destinations last year, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Myanmar Tourism Marketing, part of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, said the country enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 40.2 per cent in tourist numbers, followed by Puerto Rico at 31.2 per cent and Iran at 27.9 per cent.

“We need to keep this momentum going for many more years,” said May Myat Mon Win, Myanmar Tourism Marketing chairperson.

The government has introduced new regulations to facilitate easier access for tourists as a next step to opening up to the world.

Myanmar grants residents of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and some Southeast Asian countries visa-free entry.

People from India, the Chinese mainland, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Russia, Spain and Switzerland are granted visas on arrival.

Citizens of more than 100 countries are eligible for e-visas via evisa.moip.gov.mm and can expect approval within three days.

Myanmar Tourism Marketing will have its annual “Green Season” campaign for May through September with the support of hotels, airlines and tour operators.

Fastest-growing travel destinations:

1. Myanmar 40.2 per cent

2. Puerto Rico 31.2

3. Iran 27.9

4. Uzbekistan 27.3

5. Montenegro 21.4

6. Egypt 21.1

7. Vietnam 16.2

8. The Philippines 15.1

9. Maldives 14.9

10. Bahamas 14.6

11. Qatar 14.5

12. Armenia 14.4

12. South Korea 14.4

13. Turkey 14

14. Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.7

15. Tunisia 13.6

16. Laos 11.5

17. Azerbaijan 11.4

18. Israel 10.5

19. Lithuania 10.1

20. Kazakhstan 10

Source - TheNation

#Myanmar (Burma) Road trip to Dawei Venturing south on a 4 day break

Coming from a conservative and risk-adverse family, it took some convincing to push my relatives to join me on a journey to Dawei. For the Thadingyut festival, the office generously allowed us to take 2 days on top of the weekend. As you surely know, journalists are always busy, and 4 days was the longest holiday I could secure since Thingyan.
After a little negotiating with my boss – it was settled! I would take my family on a journey to the southern capital of Dawei, known as “the clean city”.

Driving to Dawei from Yangon takes nearly 12 hours by road. To cut the journey in two and make it more bearable, especially on my mother, aunt and uncle (my brother can handle it), we left Yangon at 7am and made a first stop in Mawlamyein. As we arrived in the afternoon, we enjoyed a barbeque on the famous Strand Road bordering the Salween River.

Mawlamyein’s Strand Road is ideal for evening strollers. Colorful boats and seagulls flying low bring to the place a relaxing atmosphere. Along the arterial road, there are several beer stations and restaurants. In the evening, most outdoor tables are taken. Dinning here is delightful, with fresh seafood available in most restaurants. It’s a beautiful location, if only for the littering. I nonetheless enjoyed the view of the river while chewing on some tender grilled prawns.

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The road to Dawei

The following day, we left the hotel early to make our way to Dawei. Before leaving though, we enjoyed a Hpa Auk mohinga, the specialty of Hpa Auk, a village nearing Mawlamyein. The hand-pulled noodles were extremely tender and the fish soup was naturally sweet.

It then took us 4 hours to drive to Ye, Mon State, about halfway between Mawlamyein and Dawei. One of the most beautiful landscapes remains the Ma Hlwe Mountain that stretches across Ye town betwixt Mon State and the Tanintharyi region. As we drove closer to the mountain, and the closer we got to Ye, the smoother the roads became. 

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With the Mountains looming in the distance, driving along the smooth-tarred roads out of the city was quite an amazing feeling. We all imagined driving in San Franscisco, on hilly roads between mountains and the sea. We drove mighty fast.

Ma Hlwe Mountain, part of Tenasserim Hills, was captivating. Unlike mountains in Shan State where trees are chopped down, Ma Hlwe Mountain still hosts a pristine canopy.

As we continued along our journey, we observed by the window the lighting up of candles on the side of the road to celebrate Thadingyut. At one point, we passed a shady bridge replacing a larger bridge which had been destroyed by the floods last August.

When in Dawei

Night fell and the towns fell asleep. There were no street lights to light the forested, curved roads. Cars became sparse. Excitement was still bubbling up inside me. Reaching Dawei around 9pm, we still had some roads ahead of us. The only hotel we could book was located on Maungmagan beach as most hotels in town were fully booked for the festival. As fate would have it, the road heading to Maungmagan beach was blocked by pilgrims on their motorcycles and cars, celebrating the festival. Women wore their most beautiful dresses as small alms bowls for the monks were laid on a table. The bowls contained flowers, candles and other offerings.

We all hoped to join the festival, famous for its boatmen pushing floating bowls down the Dawei River at dawn. However, we were all exhausted and rushed to our hotel.

The Colourful Village restaurant may be quite small but it is rather fancy. We stayed in bamboo lodges by the beach.

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Early next morning I took a stroll along the beach. It was crowded from all the tourists from upper Myanmar, unfortunately leaving trashes and empty bottles on the otherwise pristine sand.

Before noon, to avoid the heat, we visited Mhaw Yit pagoda, a 15-minute drive from Maungmagan beach. The pagoda is built on an island and boasts golden stupas. Surrounded by paradise-like nature and shrouded in quiet and piece, the pagoda watches proudly over the beach.

As it was Sunday, and as my family is religious, we visited Our Lady of Sorrow Church located on U Kyaw Yin Road. The road is named after U Kyaw Yin, also known as Mee-Bone-Pyan-U Kyaw Yin (1873-1939) who created and flew hot air balloons. The church itself was gorgeous. The teak building was built 150 years ago.

As the day passed, we eventually returned to our hotel as we had two days of road to get back to Yangon. From this trip, I will remember Dawei for its incredible nature and religious sites as well as for the hospitality of the residents. 

Source - MM Times

Micro-adventures in #Myanmar (Burma)

The wish to travel seems to me characteristically human: the desire to move, to satisfy your curiosity or ease your fears, to change the circumstances of your life, to be a stranger, to make a friend, to experience an exotic landscape, to risk the unknown.’ 

This country is broad and the whisper of adventure smiles coyly around most corners. Weather and politics gets in the way of travelling to many parts of the country but much of it, with a little pluck and planning, remains ripe for exploration …

 Nagaland

Even in the times of British-rule it was difficult to secure a travel permit into Nagaland, so it was naturally greeted with excitement by travelers in Myanmar when the need for such permits disappeared altogether. 

Caught between advancing British imperialism and ambitious Burmese kings, the Naga fostered a ferocious reputation as they fought to keep their autonomy. By brute force they were eventually subsumed into the British Empire. Years later, to great effect they acted as guides and scouts to the Allied Forces during the Second World War, coming to be seen by some as not savage headhunters but “extremely lovable.”

Today’s Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar is a strip of land along the Indian border, with the administrative capital in Lahe, with some adventurous tourists in Myanmar making it to Lay Shi. The bold may wish to rent motorbikes; all should travel with a guide. 

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Mawlaik

Recently Sampan Travel journeyed down the Chindwin River to Mawlaik. Today, it is not a town that crops up much in the newspapers nor holiday brochures however in times past it was an administrative centre of great import.

The town is peppered with colonial-era mansions, standing vacant and empty. It was also once the point at which many refugees from Yangon fled towards the Indian border as the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Burma.

British teacher U Thant Zin, a local celebrity, can still remember – and is keen to recount to those interested – of the Japanese soldiers who later committed suicide in the town as the British were returning, and the local boys who played football with their heads in the street.

A good spot for mindless wandering and settling down into tea shops. We don’t recommend the golf course. 

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On the Chindwin.

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 The Eng

Kyaing Tong sits in the midst of the Golden Triangle - where Myanmar meets the borders of Laos, Thailand, and China. Here it is possible to hike through fields that were not so long ago growing poppies, meeting some of the most diverse array of Myanmar ethnicities.

One of the most interesting is the Eng.

In the Eng village you will encounter errant children with pierced ears, a trusty slingshot in one hand, and wearing – if anything at all – the traditional black costume of their tribe. Their parents will likely be off working in the fields, but you can sit a while with the grandparents, many of whom will have painted their teeth black.

For a while after you leave the village the crackle and snap of twigs in the underbrush either side of the trekking track behind you will signal that you are being granted a clandestine escort out of Eng territory.

Mawlu & Henu

History wonks may travel up to Kachin State and across to Indawgyi where ‘Red Shan’ villagers on the banks of Myanmar’s largest lake may point to the place where fighter planes crashed during the Second World War.

On the way to or from Indawgyi it is worth visiting the nearby villages of Mawlu and Henu where during the Second World War, “Mad Mike” Calvert, after being parachuted in behind enemy lines, set up the Chindits base “White City.” 

Near Mawlu you can also see the field used as a landing strip and a commemorative plaque on “Pagoda Hill”. There is also here a small Chindits museum. It was here that the Calvert’s Chindits made a surprise attack on a troop of Imperial Japanese soldiers and, in Mad Mike’s own words:

 “…at the top of the hill, about fifty yards square, an extraordinary melee took place, everyone shooting, bayoneting, kicking at everyone else, rather like an officer’s guest night.”

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Ye

A few hours drive south of Mawlamyine is the little town of Ye, which is as delectable and charming as its name suggests. Here is an adventure for the faint-hearted.

At Ye there is a lake which can take be circumnavigated at a meandering pace in about an hour, stopping to sit at one of the wonky “lovers’ benches” or take a cup of sweet Myanmar tea under the willows.

A walkway leads out into the centre of the lake. From here you can drop titbits into the water and watch as a writhing mass of pake fish emerge, their mouths moronic and gaping and cavernous.

For others, it may be adventure enough to slip into one of the off-piste beer stations, or sit and watch the world go by under the chinthe that guard the entrance to the central pagoda, painted in a rich scarlet. 

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Source - MM Times

#Vietnam - Pure Land pagoda’s unique bamboo gate

Also known as Hien Mat Pagoda, it is in Long Khanh Town and adheres to Pure Land Buddhism. This branch of Buddhism is characterized by the teachings of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. The pagoda attracts many pilgrims.

A small bridge created entirely out of bamboo crosses over a stream at the entrance, and its railings and arch are all made of bamboo, making it stand out from other pagodas in Vietnam. On both sides of the gate are sal trees, which are associated with the symbol of the Buddha.

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 In Buddhism in Vietnam, bamboo trees growing in lumps symbolize the gathering of believers. Having one bamboo node after another resembles a ladder to the sky.

According to the monks there, before the pagoda was built, the path leading to its location had many large bamboo fields, which inspired the creation of the gate.

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At the top of the pagoda gate is an idol of a Bodhisattva sitting on a lotus throne, surrounded by apricot and sal trees.

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On entering the gate, two bell towers set in concrete pillars come into view. At their top are two bottle gourds representing vases of fairy wine for the bodhisattvas. 

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Behind the two towers is the octagonal-shaped main hall with red tiles in the middle of a large garden. The pagoda monks said the octagon represents the eight-fold path leading to liberation from human suffering.

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The main hall is about 30 square meters with small idols and paintings of bodhisattvas.

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Hien Mat Pagoda has no stupas or large idols like other pagodas in Vietnam. It sits on a large lush area with many gardens that represent Buddhist concepts. One of them is the deer garden, which represents the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon under the Bodhi tree.

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This pond recreates the Anoma River in southern Nepal, where the Buddha cut his hair and turned ascetic.

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An idol with porcelain pieces. There are a few that look like this out of the many idols in various shapes and sizes.

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The pagoda also has many rocks. According to the monks here, the rocks were mainly found and donated by local farmers. Some were given as donations by Buddhists from other regions.

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Work on the 10,000 square meter pagoda complex, which sits next to rice fields, began in 1984, but it is not clear how long it took to finish. 

Source - VN Express

#Myanmar (Burma) - Bagan ready for heritage listing experts

The Department of Archaeology and National Museums is ready to answer questions on the Bagan heritage area from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), says the department’s director.

Richard Mackay, an expert from the council, conducted a survey last September for a report that will be submitted to UNESCO regarding Myanmar’s application to list the ancient city as a World Heritage Site.

“We are preparing to answer the questions of the ICOMOS expert, who wants more information before submitting a final report to UNESCO in March,” department director U Aung Aung Kyaw said. 

He did not say what questions would be asked.

U Thu Ya Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Archaeology Association, said there are three possible outcomes to the listing application process.

“One is Bagan is added to the World Heritage List; two is that listing is deferred as in 1994, when UNESCO requested that stronger laws and a management plan be created to protect Bagan; and three is that the application is denied.

“At present, the management of the Bagan heritage area prioritises development over protection. The authorities are still allowing new hotel projects and roads in the heritage zone, even though there is enough space outside the zone,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

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To reduce traffic within the ancient city last year, the regional authorities re-opened Tharabar Gate, the last wall from the Bagan era. The increasing number of vehicles using the route is worrying to experts.

“Even though Tharabar Gate has a security team, some domestic travellers are climbing up its wall. The traffic and crowds of people are threatening the long-term sustainability of the gate,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

Recently some Bagan and Nyaung-U residents protested to call for more information about the proposed cultural heritage law.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture is amending the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law, which has passed the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) and Attorney General’s Office and will be tabled in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House).

“The new law proposes that people not be allowed to do any renovation, even for building a fence in the heritage zone, without obtaining permission from the Department of Archaeology.

 We want regulations to be more flexible for residents of the heritage zone,” Daw Khin Moh Mon Aung, a resident of New Bagan, said.

Source - MMTimes

Vietnam - Tourists revel in rich Khmer culture

If you visit in mid-November to mid-December, the Ok Om Bok Festival, also called the Festival of Worshipping the Moon, takes place at the Ba Om Pond relic site.

Kim Ngọc Thái, deputy chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, said that the Ok Om Bok is one of the main traditional Khmer festivals in the south besides the Sene Dolta and Chol Chnam Thmay festivals.

The joyful and festive Ok Om Bok event has been recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Vietnamese government.

The one-week festival includes cultural and sports events, trade fairs offering local specialties, traditional competitions such as tug-of-war and crossing of bamboo bridges, and a souvenir design contest.

But the standout activity is the exciting and colourful Ghe Ngo (Khmer boat) race on Bà Ôm Pond (which is actually as big as a lake)

Six rowing teams with nearly 400 athletes from different districts and cities in the province compete in a race that is seen as both a way to express solidarity and a traditional ritual to see off the God of Water to the ocean after the growing season.

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The Khmer believe that the Buddha blesses and protects them, so followers donate time, money and effort to build pagodas in their hamlets.

More than one million Khmer live in southern Việt Nam, which has a total of 600 Khmer pagodas. Some of them have existed for several centuries and have been recognised as national architectural relics, including the pagodas of Ang, Mẹt, Hang and Dơi.

The pagodas are always built on large areas surrounded by Dầu (Dipterocarpus alatus) trees, Palmyra palms or green cajuput forests.

A panoramic view of a typical Khmer pagoda includes a monastery, gate, fence, wall, main chamber, towers containing the ashes of dead monks, and the Sala, the place where monks and the Khmer gather to prepare for important ceremonies.
The main chamber of the Ang Pagoda, the most important part of the structure, is located in the centre and faces east. It is designed with a multi-layered roof decorated with four curved dragon’s tails on four of the roof’s corners.

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 Decorative reliefs on the pagoda’s walls include a fairy, statues of divine Krud birds, the ogress Yeak wearing armor, and the head of the Bayon with four faces, all expressing the spirit of the Khmer people. 

  The corridor outside the main chamber is decorated with Naga curving around the terrace that represent cruel forces subdued by the Buddha.

The Khmer, who account for 30 per cent of the province’s population, have enriched the local cuisine with traditional ingredients and distinctive flavours.

Bún Nước Lèo (noodle soup) is one of the most well-known. It consists of snakehead fish, roast pork and shrimp, with the essential “mắm bò hóc” (bò hóc sauce) to enrich the boldness and brackishness of the soup.
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Central: The pagoda’s main chamber, the most important part of the structure, is located in the centre of Khmer pagodas.

Source - Read Continue