Bagan’s temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar and are also one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. (AFP PHOTO)
Yangon — Visitors to Myanmar’s ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country’s most famous archaeological site following a government edict railing against “disgraceful” tourist behavior.
The ban, which starts March 1, will end the daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set over a vast plain dotted with more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings, considered holy sites by many locals, while also averting potential danger for those climbing.
“Furthermore, despite warnings, people who climb the pagodas often behave badly, in a way that is culturally disgraceful such as wearing inappropriate clothing, dancing and sleeping (on the monuments),” the ministry said in a post on its official Facebook page.
Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan’s temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation and are also one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.