Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon (Rangoon) became the capital of Myanmar after the British captured Upper Burma in the third Anglo-Burmese war in 1885. A port city, originally known as Dagon, its rise echoed that of the maritime British and symbolised the decline of the inward-looking Burmese kingdoms that ruled from the Mandalay area.

As the colonial capital, Yangon has a distinctly cosmopolitan air. The population contains large ethnic Indian and Chinese communities; the numerous Hindu and Chinese Temples in downtown Yangon are thronged with worshippers, and local restaurants and stalls offer a wide variety of Asian streetfood. It is also the final resting place of Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor who was deposed by the British and exiled to Yangon and whose grave was only discovered in 1991. The markets are among the largest in the country, offering goods from home and overseas.

Yet Yangon is also distinctly Burmese. Two miles North of the city centre rises the Shwedagon Paya - once visible from many miles, it is the key symbol of Burmese culture. At over 300 feet high, the main zedi, or stupa, is said to have more gold adorning the sides than lies in the vaults of the Bank of England. Although its current structure dates back to 1769, the site has been used for many hundreds of years and legends surrounding its creation date it back 2,500 years. All around the main zedi cluster, are a myriad of smaller zedi, shrines, temples and pavilions, dedicated to different deities. Circulating in a clockwise direction, as one does for all Buddhist monuments, crowds of monks, housewives, children, businessmen, tourists and couples visit throughout the day to pray at the shrines.