NaypyidawCapital
Myanmar · Country profile
Naypyidaw is the extraordinary purpose-built capital of Myanmar, the vast, air-conditioned administrative city that rose from the rice fields of the central dry zone after 2005, when the government moved the seat of the nation inland from the old capital of the Yangon. It is a capital of the monumental scale and the eerie silence, a grid of the enormous eight-lane boulevards, the ministry complexes, the grand parliament buildings and the giant roundabouts laid out across a landscape of the fields and the scrub, punctuated by the scattered hotels, the gardens and the sculptural monuments of the new centre. The bizarre emptiness and the colossal scale of the city, where the traffic lanes and the state buildings dwarf the modest crowds, make it one of the strangest and the most unforgettable capitals of the world, a vast official statement built on the empty plains of the centre of the country. Odd, monumental and utterly unlike any other capital, it is the strangest city of modern Asia.
About Naypyidaw
Naypyidaw is the capital of Myanmar. The city's documented population is around 1,160,242 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Myanmar Kyat (MMK) and Burmese is spoken; the dialling code is +95.
The Monument Square and the Fountains of the Capital
Naypyidaw is a city to be experienced for its sheer, disorienting scale, with the enormous water fountain garden, the giant chinthe monuments and the pagoda of the golden copy that crowns its hill anchoring the short circuit of the tourists. The great ministry boulevards and the parliament complex of the capital, and the enormous roundabouts and the traffic-light-free intersections of the grid, drive home the monumental strangeness of the venture. The hotels of the administration district, the markets and the golf courses serve the officials and the rare visitors, and the city is best reached as a dramatic contrast with the bustle of the old capitals of the country.
The Pagoda of the Hill and the Golden Copy of the Yangon
The climate of the site is the tropical monsoonal, with the hot, dusty dry season, the scorching pre-monsoon heat of the spring and the heavy rains of the wet months, and the cooler and the drier days of autumn the kindest season of the year. The kyat is the currency and the Burmese the language, with some English in the hotels of the officials. The fountain garden, the pagoda and the parliament viewpoint make the core visits, and long distances between the sights demand prepared transport. Light clothing, generous sun and water protection and patient planning complete the essentials of this unusual capital.
The Parliament of the City and the Boulevards of the State
The great pagoda of the capital, the faithful stone-and-gilt copy of the sacred pagoda of the Yangon that crowns the hill above the town, is the spiritual anchor of the new city, its golden umbrella visible across the monument-filled plains. The water fountain garden of the centre, the immense sculptured park of the fountains and the flower beds, gives the main civic pleasure of the capital, while the huge market of the town, built to serve the workers of the ministries, collects the crafts and the foods of the country. The empty ceremonial spaces and the enormous gateways of the parliament, and the sightings of the elephants of the reserve near the city, complete the surreal, monumental theatre of the strangest capital of Southeast Asia.
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- Country
- Myanmar
- Population
- 1,160,242
- Capital
- Naypyidaw
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Myanmar Kyat (MMK)
- Languages
- Burmese
- Calling code
- +95
- Country code
- MM
Frequently asked questions
Is Naypyidaw the capital of Myanmar?
Yes — Naypyidaw is the capital of Myanmar.
What currency do I need in Naypyidaw?
The local currency is the Myanmar Kyat (MMK). Languages spoken in Myanmar include Burmese.
What is the dialling code for Myanmar?
The international dialling code for Myanmar is +95.
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