Location: Thatbyinnyu Pahto, Bagan, Myanmar (21� 10' 0? N, 94� 53' 0? E)Date: 5 December 2000; 12.45pm:
Canon EOS 500N (analogue) on slides and scanned
Thatbyinnyu Pahto is one of the highest temples in Bagan, towering above the rest. It is also the first two-storey temple built in Bagan. Its profile is accentuated by its white exterior as well as its size. It has a seated Buddha image on the second floor- however visitors are not allowed up. These days, Bagan is a major destination in the Myanmar tourist itinerary and the town is changing in character as a result of the increased tourists flow- and is further from being a UNESCO Heritage Site (see article). There are still debates on the necessity and effectiveness of sanctions on the military regime to force political change in the country; but that is more or less rendered ineffective by the complicity of neighbouring South East Asian and other Asian countries.
