by Feng Yingqiu
YANGON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's three Pyu ancients cities have recently been inscribed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) into its World Heritage List for the first time and the inscription was attributed to the country's achievements in the heritage's preservation efforts.
The three Myanmar olden cities of Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra with brick walls and moats respectively located in Sagaing region's Shwebo district, Magway region's Taungdwingyi township and Bago region's Pyay district were put into the list during the 38th session of the committee held in Doha of Qatar.
Myanmar submitted the nomination for the inscription in October 1996 and the heritage was inspected by experts of the France-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 2013.
The three ancient cities lie in vast irrigated landscapes in the dry zone of the Ayeyawaddy River Basin and reflect the Pyu Kingdom that were prosperous for over 1,000 years between 200 BC and 900 AD.
The three cities have been partly excavated archaeological sites and more excavation works remain for excavated palace citadels, burial grounds and early industrial production sites as well as monumental brick Buddhist stupas, partly standing walls and water management features -- some still in use -- that underpinned the organized intensive agriculture.
Hanlin, excavated in 1904, 1929-30 and 1962-67, had a rectangular city wall in brick of 3 by 1.5 km with a palace site at the center, while Beikthano, with a side of 3 km quadrangular city walls and gateways, was excavated in 1959-63 and Sri Kestra, the largest Pyu city, enclosed by a circular city wall in brick with a diameter of 4.4 km.
Pyu culture was discovered through evidences from the three Pyu city states with ancient Pyu people speaking a language closely related to Myanmar with the stone inscriptions found in some of their monuments providing the only knowledge of this language.
The Pyu culture is characterized by specific artifacts of coins , ceramic and metalware and archaeological evidence confirms the emergence of Buddhism in Myanmar during the Pyu period.
Meanwhile, the cultural relics and religious buildings, located in Natma Taung National Park, proposed by Myanmar for inclusion in UNESCO's World Heritage List, has also been put on tentative list and is to be examined in coming years by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
Natma Taung National Park lying in Chin state's Kanpetlet township and being home to more than 800 plant species, including a rich variety of orchids and several endemic bird spices, stands one of two high-priority sites identified out of the seven natural sites on Myanmar's tentative list.
The other five sites on the tentative list are the Northern Mountain Forest Complex containing snow-capped Mt. Hkakaborazi, Myeik Archipelago of 800 islands in the Andaman Sea, Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Tanintharyi Forest Corridor and Ayeyawaddy River Corridor.
Myanmar, being a signatory to the World Heritage Convention since 1994, has been cooperating with the international in striving for preservation of its cultural heritage.
Moreover, Myanmar was also trying to nominate other ancient city of Inwa to become UNESCO's world heritage list and work on preserving the Inwa Cultural Heritage Zone near northern Mandalay is being carried out.
Inwa was an imperial capital of successive Myanmar kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries and was abandoned after it was completely destroyed by a series of major earthquake in March 1839.
It was also a popular day-trip tourist destination from Mandalay.
With Italy's assistance under the supervision of the UNESCO, the capacity building programs for preservation of Myanmar cultural heritage are being undertaken.
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