Pagan and Luang Prabang

Burmese Boy with tattoo

I'm not sure how many readers of this blog have visited both Pagan (Bagan) in central Burma, and Luang Prabang in Laos, but they are obviously two very different destinations. LP has largely been left alone by the government, but the Burmese government has decided to get very aggressive about restoration projects. For the record, I resist and condemn all restoration projects on old monuments, and believe they should all be allowed to slowly go back to dust. New monuments will always be created, and all restoration projects ruin the very goal they seek to preserve.

BurmaÂ’s ancient capital of Pagan is shaping up to be an eyesore while the former Lao royal capital of Luang Prabang strives to preserve its ancient monuments.

What a contrast between two ancient capitals, both redolent of distinct, historic cultures. One, BurmaÂ’s former capital Pagan, is moving towards what promises to be an ugly future motivated more by commercial interests than a desire to preserve the past; the other, LaosÂ’s old royal capital of Luang Prabang, is trying to keep as much as possible of its traditional appeal intact.

The main difference in approach is that while the Lao Government has fully embraced the UN cultural agency UNESCOÂ’s active guardianship of Luang Prabang as a World Heritage Site, the Rangoon generals seem to have eschewed such a move over Pagan. This despite the fact that Pagan dates back 1,000 years and is home to more than 2,000 stunning ancient monuments.

Burma’s decision makers have their own ideas of what to do with the beautiful former capital. The most recent addition to the magnificent site is a glass and concrete viewing tower which, at just over 60m, is now the ancient city’s second tallest structure. The official line is that by offering tourists a panoramic view without the need to clamber up the already crumbling walls of nearby temples, the Nanmyint (royal tower) will actually help preserve Pagan’s historic monuments. The fact that the tower, which opened on April 10, features a restaurant, meeting rooms and offices, and construction of a chalet–style resort is underway at the tower’s base, however, suggest more commercial motives.

The tower is really just the latest in a long line of developments in Pagan that have provoked outrage from international groups concerned about the siteÂ’s preservation. Other controversial projects include the 18-hole Bagan Golf Resort, which opened to the public in 1999, mere putting distance from the heart of the archaeological zone. In addition, a highway, constructed in the mid-1990s, cuts right through the site. While the generals who run the country might be rubbing their hands at the prospect of all those tourist dollars rolling in, the experts are pulling their hair out.

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