Myanmar: Yangon – Colonial City
Yangon has a long colonial history as Rangoon – the capital of the British Burma. Captured by the British in 1850s, it developed into one of the most advanced and modern cities in Asia by the 1920s, known as “the garden city of the east”. Its infrastructure and architecture were on par with London in the early 20th century. Alas, WWII and the subsequent independence and military regime brought the city to its knees economically and overpopulation exacerbated the problem as it grew from 1/2 million to about 11 million today. Still, Yangon has the highest number and concentration of colonial architecture of any city in Asia. Beautiful buildings and wide open spaces abound here. Many modern monuments grace the old British parks.
