Discover
Discover
Myanmar's first World Heritage property brings together three ancient cities, Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra, in the dry zone of the Ayeyarwady basin. Each was built of brick and ringed by walls and moats. Palace citadels, burial grounds, workshops and monumental brick stupas have been found, and much of each site is still only partly excavated.
History
History
UNESCO dates the Pyu kingdoms to roughly a thousand years, from 200 BC to AD 900. The cities are among the region's early urban centres, supported by irrigation that made intensive farming possible. The Pyu were among the first in the region to adopt Buddhism, long before Bagan rose to power.
People & Culture
People & Culture
The tall brick stupas show Buddhism woven into urban life from an early date, while burials and artefacts speak of ritual, trade and craft. Seen side by side, the three cities show a society that planned its towns, its water and its shrines with care.
Living Heritage
Living Heritage
Some Pyu water-management works are still in use, and villagers farm the same irrigated land their predecessors worked two thousand years ago. Knowing the Pyu helps explain the roots of Buddhist civilisation in Myanmar, and shows that Bagan did not appear out of nowhere.
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