Construction of a three-storey shopping
mall at the Public Square which is adjacent to one of most revered
Buddhist site, the Shwedagon pagoda, in Yangon has attracted widespread
criticisms, as the mall will obstruct the scene of the pagoda from the
nearby areas.
Local people say this is a disgrace to
what they deemed as the most sacred pagoda to the Buddhists, which is
over 2600-year old. It is also one of the major tourist attractions of
Myanmar.
Natural World Company, which has
obtained the government’s approval for the project, plans to build the
mall. It will be 186 metre long and 42 metre wide in the compound of
People’s Park on U Wisara Road, and it is just opposite the West
entrance of Shwedagon Pagoda.
Once completed, the shopping mall will
sell mainly the traditional handicrafts and souvenirs to the foreign
tourists to the Shwedagon pagoda, sources say.
Public criticisms erupted against the
authorities who gave away 60 percent of the total land area of Public
Square to the private companies. Three companies including Natural World
and Happy Zone were allowed to run business such as restaurants over
the 60-acre land of 100-acre Public Square. People also criticized the
companies for opening many bars in the public recreation area.
source: Eleven Myanmar
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