Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visits World Heritage Site ancient Beikthanoe city
NAY PYI TAW February 9
Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, Council members Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, U Moung Har and U Shwe Klein, Council Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo and wife, Union Ministers U Ko Ko, U Hla Moe, U Khin Maung Yi, U Aung Than Oo and Dr Thet Khaing Win, Union Auditor-General Dr Kan Zaw an wife, Magway Region Chief Minister U Tint Lwin, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and their wives, Commander of Central Command Maj-Gen Ko Ko Oo and officials, this morning, visited World Heritage Site ancient Beikthanoe city in Taungdwingyi Township of Magway Region.
At the Beikthanoe Archaeological Museum, Director-General U Kyaw Oo Lwin of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum and party welcomed the Senior General and party. At the briefing hall of the museum, the director-general reported on brief histories of ancient Pyu city-states Hanlin Beikthanoe and Sri Kestra involved on the World Heritage List, progress of excavation, submission of the dossier to seek the recognition of the World Heritage in line with three points of global standards, designation of these areas as the World Heritage Sites in the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, on 22 June 2014 and maintenance tasks of the department for the ancient cultural works. Dr Nanda Hmun, permanent secretary and director general of the Historical Research Department (Retd) reported on maintenance of ancient cultural works, buildings and sites, and efforts for seeking the recognition of three Pyu city states Hanlin, Beikthanoe andSri Kestra as the World Heritage Sites.
After hearing the reports, the Senior General said as ancient Pyu states included on the list of World Heritage are invaluable, it is necessary to systematically maintain the ancient cultural heritage sites and environs. It is necessary to restrict the works which can harm the ancient objects and works in the ancient heritage area under the law and raise awareness of people to have knowledge about heritages.
The walls and ancient heritage works underground may face damage, excavation for them must be undertaken in time.
As the government will provide necessary assistance, further excavation and maintenance of ancient Hanlin, Beikthanoe and Sri Kestra cities must go on. Exposing the ancient cultural heritages will reflect measures of valuing the State, strengthening the nationalistic spirit and adoring the ancient cultural heritages. As these Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visits World Heritage Site ancient Beikthanoe city ancient cities are symbols of Magway Region as well as the country, maintenance of these world cultural heritages will help develop the region.
Civilization of Pyu cities was the earliest in Southeast Asia, and cultural evidences of these cities are located in China and other countries. The Senior General recounted that when he visited Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex on the Bheemunipatnam Hill in India, he found ancient cultural works and silver coins similar to that of ancient Pyu cities, and the buildings similar to the religious buildings excavated in ancient Beikthanoe city. In maintaining the ancient historical sites and buildings including ancient Pyu city states, it is necessary to take samples from other countries.
Only when people know the history will they understand culture and adore the country, so it is necessary to maintain historical heritages for long term existence in generations. It is necessary to insert knowledge related to ancient cultural historical heritages at basic education schools and universities.
In response to the reports of U Kyaw Lwin Oo and Dr Nanda Hmun, discussions highlighted that archaeological works must be based on archaeological, geological and geographical perspectives. The civilization process of Myanmar started as of BC 3rd and 2nd centuries.
It is necessary to early expose the grandeur of the State and high cultural standard from then onward for displaying the various kinds of ancient objects.
Efforts must be made to attract local and foreign visitors.
The Senior General, wife and party then viewed the ancient Beikthanoe city map, the entrance to the city and walls, ancient objects, literary evidences,
Pyu bricks, royal architectural works and Pyu utensils on respective booths. After hearing the clarifications of officials, the Senior General instructed them to label the captions on dates for the documentary photos which must be quality and panoramic and locations for excavated sites and arrange for observers to closely view the ancient coins and jewellery ornaments by LED screens and left necessary instructions.
The Senior General, wife and party viewed round the building with the KKG-2 monasterydesigned foundation, KKG-3 pagoda-designed building, KKG-4 religious monument, BTO-1, BTO-2, BTO-3, BTO-4 and BTO-5 inner and outer walls of the place at the royal palace in the area of ancient Beikthanoe City and left instructions on systematic erection of the directions for looking the ways and ancient buildings, and needs for systematic maintenance.
Ancient Beikthanoe City is located 12 miles west of Taungdwingyi in Taungdwingyi Township of Magway Region. The fertile cultivable city is surrounded by Yin Creek and Saton Creek in the north, Taung U Creek and Yanpei Creek in the south. The city was established relying on the fertile area and Taungdwingyi plain from 1st Century AD and 5th Century AD. The Myanmar Archaeology Department conducted observation there in 1905. A total of 25 ancient mounds were excavated for research from 1959 to 1962.
A total of 41 further mounds were unearthed from 1995 to 2015. So far, research has been conducted on 66 mounds. Depending on Kokkokhwa Village, the mounds of the city were named as KKG.
As of 1995, the mounds were renamed as Beikthanoe BTO in short sign. According to the ancient archaeological research, as the dossier for three ancient Pyu cities with firm evidences were submitted to the committee to enlist them as the World Heritage Sites in line with the threepoint global standard, ancient Hanlin, Beikthanoe and Sri Kestra Pyu cities were recognized as the World Heritage Sites in the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee on 22 June 2014. At present, the ancient Pyu cities are under maintenance in line with the policies of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture for searching, maintaining and propagating the Myanmar cultural
heritages aimed at enabling the people to adore the country and the national.