Sunset over Bagan, Myanmar (Burma). Bagan was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma and is located on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River.
The Irrawaddy River, flows from north to south through Burma (Myanmar). It is the country’s largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N’mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through the Irrawaddy Delta into the Andaman Sea. (Wikipedia).
The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 42 square km. The majority of its buildings were built in the 11th century to 13th century. It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 square km plain in central Myanmar, and Marco Polo once described Bagan as a “gilded city alive with tinkling bells and the swishing sounds of monks’ robes”. Approximately 2,200 remain today, in various states of disrepair. Caption and Photo source: © Martin Sojka
Excerpts;
Activists and environmentalists notched up a rare victory in Burma when the president ordered the suspension of a huge Chinese hydropower project on the Irrawaddy river.
The $3.6 billion dam was being built at the head of Burma’s economically and ecologically significant Irrawaddy River, in a highly earthquake prone region.
It has been opposed by environmentalists and has been the reason behind a number of recent and rare protests.
President Thein Sein informed parliament on Friday that construction of the $3.6bn (£2.3bn) Myitsone dam should be halted because it was against the will of the people…
Read Full Article, Guardian UK
