Myanmar moments

SW visits Kayin State

By Itsarin Tisantia
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post

Kayin State is a popular tourist destination in Myanmar. Besides lush green forests and high hills, the state is full of natural resources, centuries-old cultural heritage and interesting ways of life.

For this week’s Freeze Frame, SW explores the peaceful Kayin State area.

A group of Buddhists walk through Payathonsu Market, where people make merit during Uposatha Day, which is traditionally spent practicing meditation and observing Buddhist teachings.

A monk walks past a prayer hall at Sao Roi Ton Temple, one of the well-known religious sites in Kayin State.

One of the state’s popular local products is different kinds of preserved freshwater fish.

The Songkalia River is an important natural resource that locals have long nurtured. Along the river are ruins of Wang Wiwekaram Temple, which was submerged in 1984.

The second floor of Sao Roi Ton Temple is used as a classroom for novices. The temple still uses blackboards for teaching Buddhist lessons.

Villagers release lanterns during the Loy Ruea Sado Khro ceremony, held to take away bad fortune.

Apart from fruit and other types of food, elderly locals offer monks bottles of honey, sesame oil and flowers, which can be used as health products and herbal medicines.


EXERCISE

Read Freeze Frame. Then, match each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions.

…… 1. herbal a. the parts of a building that remain after it has been destroyed or damaged
…… 2. submerge b. made of or connected with herbs
…… 3. novice c. to make something go under the surface of water or another liquid
…… 4. ruins d. a person who has joined a religious group and is preparing to become a nun or a monk

 

Vocabulary

  • fortune (n): chance or luck, especially in the way that it affects people’s lives
    nurture (v): to care for and protect something so that it can develop successfully
    freshwater (adj): living in water that is not the sea and is not salty
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