The Great Show at ancient Bagan
Bagan in central Burma is one of the world’s greatest archeological sites, a sight to rival Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat but – for the time being at least – without the visitors. The setting is sublime – a verdant 26 square-mile plain, part-covered in stands of palm and tamarind caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains. Rising from the plain’s canopy of green are temples, dozens of them, hundreds of them, beautiful, other-worldly silhouettes that were built by the kings of Bagan between 1057 and 1287, when their kingdom was swept away by earthquakes and Kublai Khan and his invading Mongols. Some 2,230 of an original 4,450 temples survive, a legacy of the Buddhist belief that to build a temple was to earn merit. Most are superbly preserved or have been restored by UNESCO, among others, and many contain frescoes and carvings and statues of Buddha, big and small. Only a handful are regularly visited, and though tourist numbers are increasing and the hawkers are beginning to appear, this is still, by the standards of sites of a similar beauty and stature, a gloriously unsullied destination.This palace is one of the most awe-inspiring locations in all of Myanmar. It is one of the most magnificent palaces in world yet also retains a sense of mystery and intrigue. It was only reopened to public in 2008. The restoration and reconstruction of the Bagan Golden Palace was done in way to maintain the buildings heritage and architecture. Bagan Golden Palace of Myanmar's first ancient empire King Anawratha is among the four ancient palaces rebuilt after 1988, based on its original architectural style and is claimed as the most glorious one. The other three are Kambawzathadi Palace in Bago, Shwebon Yadana Mingalar Palace in Shwebo and Mya Nann San Kyaw Palace in Mandalay. King Anawrahta reunified Myanmar in 1044, establishing the Bagan empire historically and starting to extensively build Buddhist pagodas and temples to promote and propagate Theravada Buddhism (Little Vehicle). In a bid to preserve cultural heritage for posterity and attract tourists, the Myanmar Ministry of Culture started the reconstruction of the Thiri Zeya Bumi Bagan golden palace a few years ago. In conjunction with the palace project in the Bagan archaeological region, tourism infrastructures such as a 13-story Nan Myint viewing tower of 60 meters high and 16 meters wide and attached with a hotel, was also rebuilt and opened in April 2005 Uncover the traditions, arts, and culture that have been passed from generation to generation for over 1,0000 years. Unmatched production techniques with Myanmar's best dancers, musicians and actors come together to tell their story of this land's proud history. The show is produced by world class producer with experience running stage shows around the world.
The great Show will Starts Nov 2014, 7 PM Daily.