SCENES OF MANDALAY.




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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO RUDYARD KIPLING IMMORTALISED MANDALAY - BURMA'S SECOND CITY - IN VERSE. SOMERSET MAUGHAM WROTE OF IT IN GLOWING TERMS, DESCRIBING IT AS ONE OF THE ROMANTIC CITIES, LIKE SAMARKAND.

TODAY, MANDALAY IS STILL A PLACE WHERE THINGS TRADITIONAL SEEN MORE IN PLACE THAN MODERN INNOVATIONS.

THE CITY, SITUATED 386 MILES (616 KMS) NORTH OF RANGOON, WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1857 AND 1859, AND BECAME ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL BUDDHISTS CITIES IN THE WORLD. IT WAS REGARDED BY BUDDHISTS AS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE, AND WAS CALLED THE GOLDEN CITY OF RATANAPON.

THE BRITISH OCCUPIED MANDALAY IN 1885, AND THE CITY WAS DEVELOPED MAINLY WITH BRITISH MONEY AND ENERGY. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRATEGIC CITY, BEING THE MAIN COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE FOR TRANSPORT MOVING TO SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN AREAS OF BURMA. THE IRRAWADDY RIVER, BURMA'S MAIN WATERWAY RUNS THROUGH THE CITY; AND MANDALAY CONTAINS BURMA'S LARGEST RAILWAY TERMINAL AND MARSHALLING YARDS.

MUCH OF MANDALAY WAS DEFACED DURING WORLD WAR TWO. THE ROYAL PALACE, BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY, WAS DESTROYED, AND SOME OF ITS MAGNIFICENT TEMPLES AND SHRINES RAZED BY BOMBS. IT WAS THE SCENE OF BLOODY BATTLES BETWEEN BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH FORCES AND THE JAPANESE, WHO OCCUPIED THE CITY FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.

TODAY, FEW OF THE SCARS OF WAR SHOW. LIFE IS LIVED IN A RELAXED AND ACCEPTED WAY, AND CHANGE IS GRADUAL.

THE POPULATION IS NOW 322 THOUSAND, AND MANDALAY IS A MARKET CITY WHERE PRODUCE FROM THE FERTILE PLATEAUX TO THE NORTH IS SOLD. THE CITY HAS TWENTY BAZAARS WHERE MOST TRADING IS DONE.

THE CITY IS ALSO THE HOME OF MANY TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMEN - SILVERSMITHS, ARTISTS, WOODCARVERS AND LAPIDARISTS. BURMA IS RICH IN PRECIOUS STONES, INCLUDING RUBIES, AMBER, JADE AND SAPPHIRES.