Until fairly recently access to Myanmar, known as Burma until 1988, presented a difficult challenge after decades of military imposed isolation. However, the country is gradually opening up to foreigners and I was fortunate to recently visit the capital Yangon for a project in the central region of the country. Formerly known as Rangoon, the city is one of mystery and intrigue partly created by the period of isolation but also the cultural layers that have been created over centuries. One of those layers involved Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka Chinese traders who settled in Rangoon during the 1800’s. However the dominant layer was created by British Colonial rule, which fundamentally changed the physical and social fabric of the city.
In 1852 the English East India Company established the colonial port of Rangoon in what was a small coastal community of farmers and seasonal traders, and mainly known for annual Buddhist festival centred on Shwedagon Pagoda.
When it was named as the capital of British Burma in 1885 Rangoon accommodated a diverse foreign population that included British, European, Armenian, Indian, Chinese and others together with the local population.
Prior to my trip I was fortunate to meet with Dr Jayde Roberts at UNSW Faculty of Built Environment who spent eighteen months in Yangon, as a Fulbright US Scholar. Her monograph, Mapping Chinese Rangoon: Place and Nation among the Sino-Burmese was published by the University of Washington Press in 2016. Having read the book I was keen to see what physical and social evidence of the Sino-Burmese remained within the current urban fabric of the area known as old Rangoon.
The original colonial grid layout established by the British planners is still evident in the area between the Yangon Railway Station and the river. In addition the hierarchy of street widths is still visible even though they are congested with traffic and people.
Plan of Old Rangoon (source Dr Jayde Roberts)
The spatial relationship between a number of the major ethnic groups within the grid is illustrated on Figure 1, which is adapted from Dr Robert’s book. It shows the European administration precinct adjoining the railway station and extending to the waterfront. The location of the Indian precinct immediately west of the administration area reflected the standing of the Indian population that was brought in by the British Colonial Administration to perform a principal role in the administration of Burma. The location of the Chinese precinct immediately to the west is an indication of their social standing and their role as merchants and traders.
Clear evidence of the Chinse legacy is provided by the Kleng Hock Keong Chinese Temple with its ornate red, gold and black colour ornamentation. The interior provides a memorable visual and olfactory experience.
The clan halls referred to by Dr Roberts in her book, which include Kien Tek Association building, can be recognisable by the temple structure on top level.
Standing at the open door of one hall the scent of burning josh sticks took me back to the time I lived in Hong Kong and visited temples in the countryside. I was greeted by an elderly Chinese man who explained that he was a Hokkien descendant and the building was a temple and community meeting place.
I was intrigued to see Chinese junk emblems on the facade of an old colonial building that is now used as a bank. They make reference to the major role that junks played in the activities of Chinese traders in the 1800’s.
A small Hindu shrine installed at base of a large Fig tree provides a clear illustration of the contrast between the Chinese and Indian precincts of Old Rangoon. Specialist shops operated by Indian merchants range from one that was selling scales to another selling fishing nets. (photos)
Along the riverfront the constant and dynamic movement of ferries and other boats provide a major mode of transport for people and goods along and across the river. Its significance is evidenced by the large number of passengers regularly boarding and alighting from the ferries. The river also functions as a working port with large ships sharing it with a diverse range of ferries and small fishing boats.
The human activity of people engaged in their daily activities of shopping, getting to and from work and other destinations creates a strong sense energy and human interaction despite the congestion and variable quality of the urban environment. My impressions were no doubt influences by the weather conditions that ranged from sunny to cloudy before dramatic thunder clouds rolled in later in the afternoon. But this variability all added to the experience of an urban area with great depth of cultural overlays that are still evident in the people and physical environment of Old Rangoon.
Some urban restoration is occurring with the adaptive reuse of a large public administration building as an up-market hotel that is located opposite a visually dominant Pullman Hotel. However, urban decay is not far away and provides a stark reminder that it is still a common feature throughout Old Rangoon.
