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Burma

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The ancient city of Bagan, Burma, is located in Mandalay Division and is home to over 2,000 pagodas and temples. The majority of the buildings were built during the 11th to 13th centuries when Bagan was the capital of the Burmese Empire.
Htilominlo Temple in Bagan, Burma, was completed around A.D. 1218 during the reign of King Nantaungmya. The three-story temple rises to 46 m (150 ft) and is built of red brick.
Ananda Temple is one of the four main temples remaining in Bagan, Burma. It is said to have been built around A.D. 1105 by King Kyanzittha and showcases traditional Mon architecture.
A golden Buddha statue sits in one of the many pagodas in Bagan, Burma.
The Shwenandaw Kyaung Temple, built in traditional Burmese architectural style, is the only remaining structure from the original Royal Palace in Amarapura, Burma. The temple was later moved to nearby Mandalay where is remains today. After King Mindo died in the building in 1878, it was converted into a monastery dedicated to his memory. The monastery is known for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths adorning the walls and roof.
Mount Popa, an extinct volcano, is located southeast of Bagan, Burma. A monastery sits atop the volcano and houses several monkeys, pictured here.
Inle Lake is located in Shan State, Burma, is known for the local fishermen's distinct rowing style, which involves operating an oar with one leg. Inle Lake is also home to a strong weaving industry and floating gardens.
The Irrawaddy Delta is a lowlying region in southern Burma that plays a dominant role in the fishing and rice cultivation industry.
More than 90% of the world’s rubies come from Burma, particularly the mountainous Mogok area. The term "Burmese ruby" is synonymous with the best and most valuable rubies with the finest color -- red to slightly purplish-red and medium-dark in tone. Mined in Burma in the 1930s, the 23.1-carat Carmen Lúcia Ruby pictured here is among the largest faceted Burmese rubies in the world. (Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Natural History Museum/Chip Clark.)
Red pandas live solitary lives, except for breeding season, in the rainy mountain forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, northern Burma, and central China. They spend most of their lives in trees, sleeping, eating, and sunbathing, and their diet is almost entirely made up of leaf tips and tender bamboo shoots. Despite sharing a common name and a love of bamboo, red pandas and giant pandas are not closely related. The name “panda” is believed to come from the Nepali word “ponya,” meaning “bamboo eater.”
Sapphires have been valued as gemstones since 800 B.C. and come in a variety of colors, though blue is the most popular and most valuable. The gems are found in in Burma, Sri Lanka, the Kashmir region of India, Thailand, Australia, Madagascar, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. Pictured is the 98.57-carat Bismarck Sapphire, one of the largest sapphires in the world, which was mined in Burma and has been part of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum collection since 1967. (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.)
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