The People

The Rakhine people speak a nonstandard variety of Burmese. They live throughout Rakhine State, Myanmar, mainly in the townships of Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk Oo, Kyauk Phyu, Man Aung, Taunggup, and Thandwe. Many other minority people living in Rakhine State and nearby Paletwa Township (Chin State) can also speak Rakhine as their second language.

BASED on Theravada Buddhism, the Rakhine culture, literature, music and fine arts have flourished. The Rakhine oillamp choral dancing is famous; so are the traditional slash-andburn dancing by Thet ethnic people, plate dancing by ethnic Maramargrees, bottle-dancing on the head by Dainet ethnic people and horn-dancing by ethnic Mros famous in their own ways in the Rakhine State.

The Shite-Thaunghmyaut, or traditional sand pagoda festival of the Rakhine, was held at Sittway’s urban Point and Ngapali Beach on the Full Moon of Tabaung. The Rakhine people build sand stupas on the Full Moon of Tabaung as a form of reverence to the 84,000 Dhammakkhandha (Dhamma teachings) of the Buddha. The tradition is a way to invoke abundance of crops, safety from various kinds of danger, good weather, and peace and prosperity on the country.

Mrauk U

The abandoned city and hundreds of temples and pagodas at Mrauk U (also spelt Mrauk Oo and pronounced ‘Myow Oo’ or ‘Mrow Oo’, depending on Burmese or local Rakhine pronunciation) lie across rolling northern Rakhine State hilltops and form an awe-inspiring sight, whilst providing an experience quite unlike anything else in Myanmar. From the 15th to 18th centuries, Mrauk U was the capital of a mighty Arakan kingdom, frequently visited by foreign traders (including Portugese and Dutch), and this is reflected in the grandeur and scope of the structures dotted around its vicinity. But after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826, the British moved the regional trading centre down the Kaladan river to Sittwe, and Mrauk U went into decline. Today part of its allure lies in its isolation from the rest of the country; the lack of development; and that (for the moment) you are more likely to bump into a cow or a goat than into another tourist.

Andaw Thein Temple

Andaw Thein Temple first became famous as a reliquary for one of the Buddha's teeth, which historians believe may have originally come from Sri Lanka. The name literally translates to “tooth shrine,” and tours of Mrauk U stop here to appreciate the distinctive pagodas, very much unlike what you’ll see in other parts of Myanmar. Like the rest of Mrauk U, this site dates back to the 16th century and the height of the Arakan kingdom. Unlike the ruins of sites like Bagan, the site here hasn’t been overly restored. Instead, it’s still very much a part of the local community. This is one of the many bell-shaped pagodas that surrounds the famous Shitthaung Temple, and you’ll find this one near the temple’s northwestern corner.

Koe Thaung Temple

Koe Thaung translates to “shrine of the 90,000 images of the Buddha”, referring to the number of Buddha images that it contained. The temple was built in 1553 to gain religious merit by King Min Dikkha, the son of Min Bin who built the Shite-Thaung (“temple of the 80,000 images of the Buddha”) three decades earlier. After being abandoned centuries earlier, excavation works started in 1996 and the Koe-Thaung was partly restored. During excavation works several items were found like stone oil lamps, that were used to illuminate the dark interior of the temple. The massive Koe-Thaung temple is built of stone walls and stone terraces and has a maze like interior. Its entrance is on the East side. The temple is surrounded by five receding terraces on which a large number of small stupas stand. At the center of the Koe-Thaung is a large circular bell shaped stupa.

Ngapali Beach

Ngapali (pronounced Napally and said to be named after the Italian city of Naples) is Myanmar’s premier beach destination. Located on the Bay of Bengal coast in Rakhine State, its main feature is an idyllic stretch of white sand and palm tree-lined coast, with a number of resorts spread out next to traditional fishing villages. There are also some new hotel developments on the beaches nearer the airport (which is named Thandwe after the nearby inland town, but is in fact located closer to Ngapali – about six kilometres north of the main beach). Ngapali is about relaxing and enjoying the sun, but other activities include taking trips on local fishing boats; kayaking; snorkelling or scuba diving amongst the brightly coloured fish; and cycling or motorbiking down the beach and around some of the local villages.

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