Shades of Shan
This traditional highly colourful and practical rural craft, still practiced in Myanmar today, has its origins steeped in history. In pre-colonial Burma, a white umbrella or ‘hti byu’ was a sign of sovereignty limited exclusively to the Burmese king and his chief queen. It was one of the five articles of coronation regalia and use of a white umbrella by anyone other than the king and his chief queen was seen as a declaration of...
The Road to Mandalay – best by boat?
For all its political turmoil, Myanmar remains a tranquil destination of gentle people and Buddhist harmony – somewhat at odds with its rough and potholed roads! A trip down the Irrawaddy by our guest writer Helen Tippins If you’ve an aversion to visiting countries with questionable human rights records then Myanmar isn’t for you but if your quest is to visit places before they become swamped by mainstream tourism then now is the...
