Myanmar Through Museums

With history dating back to ancient times, Myanmar is a land rich with palaces, colonial buildings and prehistoric cities. If you don’t have time for all these places, we’ve a solution for you!— visit the museums in Yangon and discover all kinds of historical evidence on display!

National Museum

 Be enchanted by the five-story museum that houses Burmese art, history, and culture. This museum contains 14 galleries that displays precious artefacts, artworks, inscriptions, evidence of civilisation and culture development of the people of Myanmar.

The Ground Floor showcases the origins of the Burmese script along with its history. You will discover interesting facts and highlights of how the language flourished and developed into their vocabulary today. Make your way to the hall of culture and you will find equipment of Myanmar rural life, including traditional tools, bullock carts, monk bowls, semi-precious stones and jewellery. These items were used by the locals for agricultural work, daily chores, and religious rituals – some of which are still used to this day.

When you’re at this museum, remember to catch this highlight: the hall of the Pre-historic era. Here, you will find the impressive replica of Pyadalin Cave with its stone-age wall drawings and neolithic weapons made by Myanmar’s first civilisation. This is also the place for you to learn more about the Pyu cities of Myanmar that are listed as UNESCO’s Heritage Sites. The information displayed are very detailed, but if you are keen to know more, you can always ask the staff. The Throne Room also makes for a memorable visit as you can witness miniature thrones of the Royal Families up to the last Myanmar monarch, giving you an insight into the prestigious Royal Families of Myanmar; from their glory to their downfall.

 Bogyoke Aung San Museum

 Dedicated to General Aung San, this museum was originally the general’s residence before his untimely death due to an assassination in July 1947. This museum features the life of the founder of modern Myanmar, exhibiting his life story and personal belongings, including his cherished car that he personally drove.

You will also find photos of his youth when he was completing his primary education at the Buddhist monastery. There are also political activities photos, a handwritten letter to his wife and his lighter with his name carved on it. At the garden, you will find a bronze statue of General Aung San, peacefully doing his gardening. This gives tourists a better understanding of Aung San’s life; not just as a general, but as a father and a husband who was living comfortably with his family at home.

This museum is now disabled-friendly, thanks to the government of Myanmar to ensure that there are proper paths for physically disabled people to use and explanations for visually impaired individuals.
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Amber Museum

Now this is a one-of-a-kind museum. Featuring rare specimens trapped in amber, this Amber Museum in Yangon will educate you with the knowledge of amber, particularly Burmite – Burmese amber. Amber is the product of hardened tree resin and is usually yellow, but the blue and green ones are considered to be very rare and valuable. At the museum, you can pick an amber stone from a pile and keep it with you until the end of the tour to see if you have correctly identified amber. Burmites are naturally warm when touched, and its texture is smooth and pleasant.

Any living creature, typically insects and small animals, when preserved in the hardened tree resin, results in a unique formation of amber with the preserved specimen inside. The Burmite is unlike any other amber found throughout the world; Burmese amber is approximately 99 million years old, whereas others only existed 40 million years ago. It is also believed that Burmite has been around ever since dinosaurs existed. Ambers at the museum contain several specimens trapped from the past, possibly from millions of years ago, which makes this experience a rare journey of a lifetime. Imagine witnessing something even older than dinosaurs!

Myanmar Gems Museum

Do you love jades, sapphires, rubies and pearls? Visit Myanmar Gems Museum and be awed by the impressive amount of precious stones that are displayed. You’ll find it fun to learn about rare stones as it’s not often you are surrounded by real gemstones. Photography and videos are not allowed, but this means that you can pay more attention to the displayed stones and not your camera.

You will find your curiosity getting the better of you as you walk around the museum, eager to know more about each stone. There is a Gems Mart in the museum and this is where you can browse for souvenirs to be brought back for your friends and family. One of Myanmar’s rarest Gems Mart, they even have certified staff who can verify if your stone is genuine. They can also advise you on which stones to choose for your first time.

Visiting museums in Yangon is unlike any other museum experience. In one city itself, you explore various themes of prehistoric times, politics and culture, to amber and precious stones. This can be fitted into a one-day schedule in Yangon, so if you need a quick plan, you know where to go!

 

 

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