US to fund restoration of Mandalay monastery

US to fund restoration of Mandalay monastery

By Si Thu Lwin   |   Monday, 29 July 2013

The United States will provide US$500,000 for the restoration of Shwe Nan Daw Monastery in Mandalay, one of the few remaining links with King Mindon's royal palace.

US ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell (left) visits Shwe Nan Daw Monastery in Mandalay on July 25. (Si Thu Lwin/The Myanmar Times)

The funding was announced during a visit to Mandalay by US ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell on July 25.

The two-year project will involve the embassy, the Ministry of Culture and a US-based conservation group, the World Monuments Fund, the embassy said.

Both the embassy and the ministry said care will be taken to protect the original features of the teak building, which is more than 130 years old and one of Mandalay's most prominent attractions.

"We've accepted an offer of help from the US because we need funds and technical assistance to preserve the monastery," Deputy Minister for Culture U Than Swe said. "During the preservation process, we'll make sure the original Burmese architectural style is maintained so that we avoid some of the things that happened in Bagan."

He said restoration will begin in September and is expected to end in June 2015, with American experts to work alongside officials from the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library.

The US funding will come from the State Department's Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The ministry and the World Monuments Fund will also contribute to the project.

"This partnership is a celebration of this country's rich cultural and architectural heritage," Mr Mitchell said in a statement. "Even as this country develops and modernises, it is important to preserve its unique heritage for future generations. We are honoured to begin this partnership with the Ministry of Culture, which will foster

collaboration between US and local preservation experts and help train a team of experts to conduct other preservation efforts in the future."

The monastery was originally the northern chamber of Mandalay palace and was built at a reported cost of 120,000 silver coins. After King Mindon died inside the structure it was disassembled and reconstructed outside the palace in 1883.

It is one of the few royal buildings that survived a huge fire in 1944 when British troops retook the city from Japanese forces.

Translated by Win Thaw Tar

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/31/us-to-fund-restoration-of-mandalay-monastery/