Myanmar’s ancient capital listed as Unesco site
YANGON Unesco inscribed Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan as a World Heritage Site on Saturday, nearly a quarter of a century after the complex of Buddhist temples was first nominated for listing.
Other designated sites include India's Pink City of Jaipur, the ruins of Liangzhu City in China, and the Plain of Jars in central Laos.
The decision on Bagan recognises the importance of the central Myanmar site - which includes more than 3,500 stupas, temples, monasteries and other structures built between the 11th and 13th centuries - and will likely be a boon to Myanmar's tourism industry.
The Myanmar proposal to list the site was approved at a meeting of the UN's cultural body in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites recommended the listing, noting that Myanmar had adopted a new heritage law and had formed plans to reduce the impact of hotels and tourism developments in the area.
Myanmar had reversed some "inappropriate conservation interventions," the body said, noting that Bagan was important for its historical significance and as a place of continuing Buddhist worship.
"Bagan is living heritage, having endured all forms of challenges for more than a thousand years," said Myanmar diplomat Kyaw Zeya, speaking on behalf of the Myanmar delegation at the Baku meeting.
"Today we are celebrating the joyous moment of the successful inscription of Bagan in the World Heritage List."- REUTERS
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