Sunday, March 27, 2016

Burma's Ghost Capital Turns 10

Ten years ago today Myanmar (or Burma) suddenly moved its capital from Yangon (Rangoon) to Napyidaw, an area of rice paddies and sugar cane fields.
http://www.mapsofworld.com/myanmar/naypyidaw.html
While the above map via mapsofworld shows many points of interest, the few westerners who have visited the secretive capital have described a mostly barren city full of empty superhighways as detailed in these pictures from the Daily Mail and the Guardian.
http://dailym.ai/1HDg4Ou#i-6a9faa9006328490

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/19/burmas-capital-naypyidaw-post-apocalypse-suburbia-highways-wifi
 An aerial view from Here Maps shows lots of empty space in the middle of town.

From the Guardian article.
The purpose-built city of Naypyidaw – unveiled a decade ago this year – boasts 20-lane highways, golf courses, fast Wi-Fi and reliable electricity. The only thing it doesn’t seem to have is people...

 

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