Myanmar known as Suvanna Bhumi (the Golden Land) in the olden days for its fertile land and rich in natural resources is the largest country in South-east Asia Peniesula, sharing border with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand, with a total land area of 676,577 sq km. It is the size of Texas and the size of United Kingdom and France combined.

Early civilization in Myanmar dated back to the 1st Century with archaeological evidence of the Pyu Kingdoms of Thayaekhittaya (Sriksetra), Beikthano (Visanu) and Hanlin.

The road to present day Myanmar however, is more easily dated back to the time when the grate Myanmar King Anawrahta came to power in 1044.   He was the first to consolidate the various groups into one kingdom and was also instrumental in the introduction of Theravada Buddhism, which was then, as it is today, the predominant religion in the country.  After his death in 1077 the kingdom fell into disarray with conflicts occurring between the Mon and also with Shan among others.  Secondly, in the 16th century the Bamar(Burmar) King Bayintnaung was able to united all of Myanmar again.  Following Bayintnaung’s death however, the kingdom once again fell into decline and the next major event was the takeover of lower Burma by the British in 1824 and the subsequent further colonization of middle and upper Burma by 1885.  British colonial Burma was ruled from India as a part of the British Raj.

The coming of World War II and growing Burmese nationalism eventually led to post war independence.  Then came the “Burmese Road to Socialism” under General Nay Win and Burma, nowadays called ‘Myanmar’ began to deep into isolation.  In recent years however the country has begun to open travelers now their way here to discover for themselves the cultural and visual treasures that make up the magic of ‘Myanmar’.