A little colonial architecture in Yangon

Video of the Islam Building, combining Oriental design with a whiff of Art Deco, 

from 1939, Yangon

The former Ministry of Railways dates back to 1877, Yangon

The Secretariat, from the late 19th Century,

was once the seat of British imperial power, Yangon

The restored Strand Hotel from 1901, was restored in the 1990s, Yangon

General Post Office, Yangon

Main staircase, General Post Office, Yangon

Sealing mail, General Post Office, Yangon

UNDER THE BRITISH, their Burmese colony was heavily exploited, and with the economic development, Rangoon flourished. After independence, decades of dictatorship and economic stagnation left the city frozen partially in time. Many buildings from the colonial era survived, albeit in an often run-down state. The Main General Post Office however, with its striking moorish arches, is a promising example of a colonial building still in active use.

Given the present climate of liberalization, modern Yangon is undergoing a boom, with construction accelerating around the city centre. Major property development and next to no heritage protection, places the future of colonial era buildings in great danger.