In Burma, the capital Naypyidaw is a ghost town
Comfortably nestled in the heart of the jungle, Naypyidaw has been the capital of Burma (or Republic of the Union of Myanmar according to the official name since 2005) since 2010. She ousted Rangoon from this title, which nevertheless has nearly four times as many inhabitants (4,5 million against 1,2 million). Ghost town or huge city? One thing is certain, Naypyidaw is the most unusual capital in the world.
The extraordinary fate of Naypyidaw
The story of Naypyidaw is strange to say the least. It was in fact the head of the Burmese junta at the time, General Than Shwe, who decided toerect this city in the middle of the jungle and to make it its new capital - officially because of its more “central” position than Rangoon, located in the south of the country.
This is reminiscent of the erection of Brasília at the end of the 1950s. According to legend, it would even be an astrologer who advised this head of state to do so!
But where are the inhabitants of the city?
This is probably what most tourists wonder when they first arrive in Naypyidaw. Because if the city officially has more than a million inhabitants, its surface area is more or less 7 km ². That is almost 000 times more than New York, which hosts, as a reminder, about 6 million souls!
And as the infrastructures are just as disproportionate, we are witnessing surreal scenes, such as making the trip from the airport to your hotel on a 20 lane road on which we only meet a few unfortunate vehicles...
The main tourist attractions of Naypyidaw
The primary function of Naypyidaw, the king's city in local language, is above all administrative. This is where the main decision-making bodies of the country are based.
The most iconic building in Naypyidaw is undoubtedly the Uppatasanti Pagoda, which dominates the surroundings with its 99 meters high. It houses a copy of one of the teeth that would have belonged to Buddha.
The city zoo is, like everything else in Naypyidaw, gigantic and relatively uncrowded. Fortunately for the animals there, their enclosures are also huge. The greatest pride of this Zoological Garden, these are the penguins, for whom we have built a large refrigerated space.
Gems and botany enthusiasts should not fail to visit the gemstone museum (one of the riches of Burma's subsoil) and the National Plant Park, which is said to house more than 20 species, including more than 000 for medicinal purposes.
