"'this is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you will know"
Rudyard Kipling, 1898
What Kipling wrote a century ago still rings true. Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known*, is unlike any other place on Earth. It is a country which captures the mind and soul of the visitor in a way few other places in the modern world still can. If there are any guarantees with regard to travel, certainly one would be that anyone making the journey to Myanmar will experience something unique, and will take away indelible memories never to be confused with those from other travels or tours. We at Burma Partners, as well as the people in Myanmar, invite you to go see for yourself.
In this ongoing series of photo essays, we will attempt to communicate some of what it is that makes Myanmar unique, hopefully encouraging many of you to make your own visit and your own discoveries, or at the very least entertaining you. Please be patient if the city or area of your own particular interest has not yet been posted. As time permits we will continue our own travels in Myanmar and update this section as we go. Click on any of the underlined titles below to journey to an essay on that city or area. If a title is not underlined, it is not yet ready, but will appear as soon as we can complete it.
Bagan Mogok Ayeyarwady Life Mandalay Yangon Inle Lake Kyaiktyo The South Kachin State
A country is a combination of many things---nature, people and culture---and we attempt, in our photography, to capture images which portray as many aspects of this combination as possible. Myanmar is blessed with great variety, in its landscape as well as its people. There are almost impenetrable jungles, with wildlife the envy of any naturalist (Myanmar still has, among other things, tigers and snow leopards). There are snow-capped mountains in the north, some of which push to heights of 15,000 feet. The south contains some of the most lush and pristine beaches one is likely to find anywhere. The central area is rolling green hills, or else flatlands where the country produces it major food staple, paddy rice. Mixed throughout are the world's largest remaining reserves of tropical hardwoods, notably teak and rosewood.
Myanmar's population is even more varied than its environment. The government recognizes 135 different ethnic groups, each with its own language, although the true number is probably far higher. Although it has not always been the case, there is great cooperation between and among these diverse groups to coexist peacefully and recognize their common goals for the future. This ethnic diversity, while the source of many historical problems, is being turned into a strength, with the "whole exceeding the sum of the parts". It is an ongoing process, and still causes occasional frictions (as similar mixes still cause frictions in the US, Europe and every single other heterogenous society on Earth), but the degree to which various groups mix in Myanmar is both readily apparent and commendable.
Our imagery attempts to capture the full range of both the country and its people, hopefully conveying the moods and feelings that make the country so appealing. Sometimes these moods and feelings are best conveyed via black and white; thus we make regular use of this medium in our photography, although we also will carry numerous color photos when we feel color tells the story better. We hope to be more than a series of postcards, because such images can never fully communicate the real atmosphere and ambience of a country as varied and emotionally captivating as Myanmar. We have a particular fondness and admiration for Myanmar's people, so our images will reflect this bias in our generous use of portraiture. We also cannot hide our affection and respect for the people; hopefully you will appreciate and understand, through the images, why we feel as we do.
Myanmar is not a rich country in financial terms, but it has enormous wealth in areas of more lasting importance. Its people carry themselves with a grace and a dignity immediately apparent to even the first time visitor. What is also immediately apparent is the warmth and generosity of Myanmar's people. Should any of you make your own visit, expect to be received in a manner quite different from anything you have previously experienced. The smiles are genuine, and they spring from the depths of the Myanmar's soul. They are not merely surface ornaments, disappearing as soon as you turn your back, but rather go to the core of their being.
The Myanmar are a proud people, feeling rightfully equal in every way to the foreign visitor. They are also curious, and will want to know as much of your country and culture as you will want to know of theirs. Prepare to answer a thousand questions, and feel free to ask your own in return. The Myanmar know well that their land is neither well known nor understood in the outside world, and they will gladly take each and every opportunity to begin your education. The average Myanmar is well versed in the country's history and in its cultural heritage. The majority of the country is Buddhist, and this religious belief is at the heart of virtually every aspect of the Myanmar's life. Buddhist culture is also apparent in the country's architecture, with a myriad of pagodas and temples present in almost every hamlet, village, town and city in the country. Myanmar enjoy religious freedom, and although the majority is obviously Buddhist, there are also sizeable numbers of Moslems, Christians, Hindus and people of other faiths, all with their own places of worship, customs and practices.
Personal relationships mean a lot in the country, and people make the time to communicate and interact with their friends, families, and neighbors---or the foreign tourist---as often as possible. In much of the world today, people are too busy or in too much of a hurry to do little more than make casual greetings with each other, and this has left (in our opinion) much of the world a bit too cold and impersonal. Myanmar is not like this. People gather in teashops and kiosks, markets and restaurants, or merely on the street in front of their homes, to catch up with their neighbors and friends on the latest news or the latest happenings in each other's lives. The country has retained many of the things we all miss in our own countries, such as the awareness of what it is that makes life truly interesting and meaningful. We all talk of taking time to "smell the roses", but we rarely do. We tend to rush headlong toward ill-defined goals for reasons unknown, all the while forgetting our short lives are slipping away. Myanmar, on the other hand, remember that "smelling the roses" is perhaps the most important thing in life, and the country and people are all the richer for it. As a visitor you will be able to share this view, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to take some of it home with you.
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*Over its history Myanmar has been known by many names. Burma is the most widely known in the West, as it was the name attributed to it by British during their period of colonial rule. Myanmar is made up of at least 135 different ethnic groups, however, and the Burman (from which Burma is derived) are but one, albeit the largest. The current government initiated the name change to Myanmar both to reflect the rich ethnic makeup and to distance the country from the name imposed on it by the colonialists. Our company name, Burma Partners, does not represent the country, but rather the name by which the gemstones mined in the country are known within the gem and jewelry community. When rubies and other gems from Myanmar first gained widespread popularity, they were referred to as "Burmese" gems, and this name has stuck. This is analogous to "Kashmir" sapphires and "Golconda" diamonds: neither of these are called Indian, even though both came from India.
