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Friday 17 July 2015

Rangoon Burma in pictures and words by David Keegan

Rangoon Burma

Burma, when I think of Burma it is in its historical context and its recent and long closure to the outside world.

Burma colonised by the British in 1886 was only fully freed in 1948 from both Japanese and British occupation and rule. What should have presented a golden opportunity under the leadership of Aung Sang quickly turned to a period of chaos and uncertainty with his assassination, followed by ten years of unsteady rule, culminating in military takeover over and dictatorship which lasts even to this present day. Slowly this situation is changing with the release from house arrest of the figurehead for democracy and freedom from military dictatorship and oppression, Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

Rangoon formerly the capital of Burma is today a melting pot of peoples and cultures, all joined together in this chaotic, colorful, busy city, and seemingly living peacefully side by side. It is also a city of great neglect and poverty. It has the look of a crumbling worn out place that is slowly falling to the ground. That’s still part of it charm for the visitor but chain for the indigenous population. It is fast opening up to visitors and overseas investment is starting to flow into the city and the country. Perhaps in time these pictures will form a small part of a record of a city and people on the cusp of change. Unusually many looked straight into the cameras lenses with a mixture of question but also curiosity. For a country closed to the outside world the sudden influx of visitors must surely seem strange. How long I wonder before it feels like an intrusion.
Whilst wandering around the city one morning I chanced upon a Hindu festival so the pictures of this form the first part of the post.  Part 2 is a picture essay of the people and place as it goes about its daily and bustling business. Part 3 is a few pictures from the famous indoor market and 3 a couple of pictures of the fading façade of the city.

Rangoon Hindu Festival 2015




























































Rangoon People & Place
























































































Theingyi Market



















The Crumbling Facade













This post its contents and pictures is the copyrighted property of David Keegan 2015 ©
All pictures taken large format 320 DPI Picture quality is reduced to preserve copyrights

Also the only place i will be recommending for food in Rangoon. It doesn't have a website but is located on main road. Look it up on trip advisor for directions. It run by a wonderfully warm Burmese man who lived and trained in Tokyo for 8 years before returning to Rangoon to open his restaurant. I returned many times on my multiple visits to Rangoon and was never disappointed.Its also ridiculously cheap!!

ToMo Sushi
702 Mahabandoola Street | LathaYangon (Rangoon),Myanmar

Trip Advisor ToMo Sushi

Further Reading

Click the titles below  for the link


Article in the Independent Newspaper about the current plight of Rangoon's architecture city and people

Saving Rangoon and article in the Guardian newspaper UK

Canadian Friends of Burma

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