Thein Lwin carried on by saying due to the age of the monuments they could easily be damaged and allowing tourists to keep clambering up them could mean they could be lost to future generations. Viewing sunrises from the tops of temples and stupas at Bagan is a highlight of a visit.
Thein Lwin says the plan is to build observation towers so that this activity will still be available. The director said an additional option of going up in an anchored balloon would be launched in the very near future.
The Culture Ministry is in the process of submitting an application to UNESCO to get Bagan listed as a World Heritage Site. A veto on temple climbing is seen as an integral element to ensuring the bid is successful.
12GO ASIA’s news archives show the ministry instigated a ban early last year but it was soon rescinded when tour operators protested stridently. The issue has become more urgent as an earthquake in August caused damage to around 400 of the 2,000 Bagan monuments.
Myanmar authorities set to ban visitors from climbing Bagan temples
News in Asia
Myanmar’s Culture Ministry says it is set to reintroduce a ban on tourists climbing the temples at the landmark Bagan archaeological complex. The ministry’s Archaeology Division deputy-director says the ban is necessary as the structures are up to 1,000 years old.