Eli van der Rijn Topaz Monday, Nov 18 About three hours Characterizing Geographical Locations • Central Lowlands o Sittaung Valley o Chindwin Valley • Small Mountain Ranges o Zeebyu Taungdan o Min-wun Taungdan o Hman-kin Taungdan o Gangnaw Taungdan
The town of Yangon thrived because of its mythological roots in local culture. Home to a massive pagoda, the town also holds historical relevance in the wars of Myanmar. The pagoda, called the Shwedagon pagoda grew from myths and legends. In Buddhist lore, the merchant brothers Tapussa and Bhallika traveled to meet Prince Siddhartha. They found him on his 49th day of his enlightenment and they offered him honey cakes. After the he ate the cakes, they asked him for a gift. He took his hand and pulled eight hairs out of his head. They then traveled back to Myanmar, but sadly, on the way, they met the King of Ajjhatta who requested two of the hairs. A little farther along on their way back, they met a serpent king named Jayasena who took two more of the hairs. When they finally reached Myanmar, the tow brothers out the hairs in a pile of pearls shaped like a pagoda, and then told the king of Ukkalapa about the hairs. The king came, and paid reverence to the sacred hairs. The four remaining hairs all the sudden turned into eight hairs, their numbers restored. The brothers, and the king decided to enshrine the hairs on Singuttara hill, where the relics of the other Buddha’s were kept. The brothers also decided to make a pagoda in honor of the hairs, and they called it Shwedagon Pagoda.
When Yangon, Myanmar’s old capital was founded, it was just a small fishing village. As a small village, what was then called the Dagon Township didn’t need a wide variety of trading. The main reason Dagon got so much fame was because of the pagoda. One of the main ways to get money in present day Yangon are the tourists. As well as coming for the pagoda, tourists come for the local culture, and it’s historical importance. There are many hotels in Yangon, as well as Burmese restaurants.
Yangon is the hub for economics in Myanmar. Alone, it accounts for about a fifth of the total revenue of the country. There are many street markets, selling everything from food to cars. Thilawa port, 25 kilometers south of Myanmar is the main station for both imports and exports, which also rack in money. Most people in Yangon either sell things on the street, are in the manufacturing industry, working in factories, or are in the construction industry. Although the construction industry has been negatively impacted by the economy, it is still a thriving niche of money.
One way to improve local life through infrastructure would be better hospitals. Healthcare for the poorer people in Myanmar is sadly lacking. While the wealthy can get access to the best hospitals in the country, the average person in Myanmar can’t get much help. The public hospitals in Yangon are lacking in equipment and facilities. While there are many doctors and nurses in the city, they have little to no way to help their patients. They have none of the high tech gadgets most of the people in the world have access to. This means it is harder for doctors in Myanmar to produce the same results they would get in the wealthier parts of the world.
Another basic way to upgrade life in Yangon would be to improve the markets and ways for people to sell goods. Street markets in Burma are a main part of the local economy, but most of the food goes to waste, because there are so many competitors. When people have a shop in Yangon, it really is just a stall, on the side of the street. They may have a table, with fish on it, or they may just have a basket full of meat. If the people could have a shop, there would be better quality of the food they are eating, and they would be able to sell more food, because it wouldn’t go to waste so fast. Better markets would be an easy way to improve the economy, and through that, the lives of the Burmese people.
Bibliography
"Shwedagon Pagoda." Shwedagon Pagoda. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Topich, William J., and Keith A. Leitich. The History of Myanmar. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. Print.
Shobert, Benjamin. "Healthcare In Myanmar." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.