13 Jan 

Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, along with Directors-General for Department of Religious Affairs and the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, inspected the maintenance and renovation at the Bagan temples damaged by an earthquake.

The earthquake destroyed 389 pagodas on 24 August 2016, and 388 pagodas have been completely renovated until now by the Department of Archaeology and National Museum and the Ministry of Construction under a four-year plan. The Thatbyinnyu Pagoda, the only one left to be finished, is under the nine-year long-term maintenance work by the Cultural Heritage Administration of the People’s Republic of China.

Besides, according to the field study, 110 ancient pagodas that required renovation were also renovated, bringing a total number of pagodas to 498 during the four-year project period.

The earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred about 10 miles west of Chauk Township, destroying more than 600 pagodas across the country – 389 ancient pagodas in Bagan-NyaungU area, 93 pagodas in Kyaukpadaung Township and 6 pagodas in MraukU, Rakhine State.

For the damages of pagodas in Bagan, donations from the people, organizations and international donors amounted to K6799.11 million and US$1.1 million. In addition, 224 pagodas that were slightly damaged were donated by the original donors of the pagodas.

The Ministry has fully repaired the earthquake damage during the first term of the current government, and conducting a final report on the renovation work of the earthquake-resistant pagodas by the four-year project.

MNA (Translated by Ei Phyu Phyu Aung)