ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

By MIN LWIN | A photo exhibition entitled “Our Beloved Mandalay” opened on December 10 at Dhammathala Hall in Mandalay as Burma’s second-largest city prepares to mark the 150th anniversary of its founding next year.

The exhibition, which will last until December 14, was organized by Mandalay-based Moenatthu Media Company and provides an overview of the city’s history through vintage photos and the work of 18 contemporary photographers.

Featured subjects include some of the city’s best-known sites and events, such as the wall and moat of the old city, Mandalay Hill, religious buildings and seasonal festivals.

“We highlighted both classic and contemporary photos so viewers can compare old Mandalay with the new city,” said Moenatthu’s Nyunt Min, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday.

Nyunt Min lamented the fact that many Mandalay natives have abandoned the older downtown core of the city, selling their homes and businesses to Chinese immigrants as they move to satellite towns.

“We wanted to tell Mandalay natives they shouldn’t just follow the money,” he said. “They need to preserve the original spirit of the city.”

One Mandalay resident expressed appreciation for the older photographs in the exhibition: “Many people enjoyed the classic photos, which were quite modern and innovative for their time.”

Mandalay was founded in 1859, when King Mindon, father of Burma’s last monarch, made it his capital after leaving Amarapura. In 1885, at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War, the British seized the city and sent Mindon’s son, Thibaw, into exile.

The city has suffered many indignities and a great deal of damage since then. The royal palace was used by the British as their headquarters, and many of its fabulous treasures were stolen.

During World War II, it was heavily bombed by Allied troops. Many of the city’s historical buildings, including the royal palace, were burnt to the ground in 1945.