A VISIT to Yangon, the commercial and cultural capital of Myanmar, evokes nostalgia of a bygone era. In a region that has lost much of its architectural heritage, Yangon is amongst the remaining few cities in Southeast Asia to have preserved its colonial cityscape. Colonialism, geography and trade patterns have created a vibrant mix of British, Indian, and Chinese influences alongside the Buddhist culture, the pinnacle of which is the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda, the spiritual heart of the country, dominating the city’s skyline.

Since 2011, Myanmar has been transitioning from an isolated military state to a modern democracy. Over these last five years, the government has relaxed rules on trade, investment and visas leading both to an influx in foreign investment as well as curious travellers from around the globe eager to explore the country. A convergence of factors such as a young population, huge untapped domestic consumption, an endowment of natural resources and geostrategic advantage of being the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, between China and India, make Myanmar well positioned to reclaim its lost glory as a regional trading hub. Colonial Burma was once considered the richest and most advanced country in Southeast Asia, with Rangoon serving as Britain’s primary trading port and transport gateway to the region. In the late 20th century soon after the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation was formed, traders and businessmen from Indian subcontinent had their offices in Rangoon with proximity to Calcutta. Raw material of variety of commodities used to be sourced from Burma for the industries of India.

The rapidly growing economy has given rise to a growing middle class and both expats and locals that I met during my visit alluded to the changing socio-economic tapestry of the city combined with the infrastructure improvements that are a result of rapid economic growth and modernisation. Yet, a visit to Yangon leaves one with a lingering feeling of stepping into a time machine — a feeling that is hard to replicate in many other cities.

What is striking about Yangon is that it straddles multiple identities. This is a city where you can find an Armenian Orthodox Church, a synagogue, a mosque and the oldest Buddhist temple within a few miles of each other. The ageing colonial town houses of downtown Yangon with their pastel hued Parisian style balconies are a sight in themselves and on our walking tour with the Yangon Heritage Trust we learned that the celebrated Chilean poet Pablo Neruda also inhabited one of these town houses. He famously mused in 1927: “I came late to Rangoon. Everything was already there.” The bustling downtown area with its geometric grid layout and boisterous traffic is in many ways reminiscent of large South Asian cities characterised by street food vendors dishing up fried delicacies, women serving paan with all its embellishments to passers-by and old book sellers setting up shop on sidewalks.

A walk on Pansodan Road reveals abandoned colonial-era administrative buildings whose splendour of yesteryears is gradually fading into dilapidation. These include the Port Authority Building, and the Sofaer’s Building designed by immigrants from Baghdad. During the building’s heyday around 1910 it housed Reuters; offices and an emporium where residents of the city would come on weekends for Egyptian cigarettes or to enjoy confections at The Vienna Café. The building is currently in a desperate state of disrepair and fading in grandeur. Squatters have claimed space in one part of the building, a teashop owner runs his café in one of the corridors. From the balcony we could see the sight of the former location of the Pakistan embassy to Myanmar across the road in the Rander House. This building with its subtle art deco features stood out as being distinct from earlier colonial-era buildings.

Pansodan Road is lined with old bookshops and we were told that this is where all the city’s used books end up arriving each morning in rick sacks. British writer George Orwell, whose first novel Burmese Days was based on his days working as a policeman in various small Burmese towns in the 1920s, spent much of his time at these bookshops, his favourite being Smart and Muckerdom.

Of significance to Muslims of the subcontinent, the city is also the burial site of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, who was exiled to Yangon after being defeated by the British in the 1857 War of Independence. His mausoleum, located close to the Shwedagon Pagoda, receives a handful of visitors each day but is well worth a visit if only to pay homage and appreciate the inscriptions of his Urdu poetry and memorabilia such as his nikahnama decorating the walls.

Yangon’s cultural and architectural heritage has survived decades of war, military rule, isolation and economic decline but still echoes the remnants of a long departed foreign empire. How it will evolve through the transition to democracy and renewed prosperity remains to be seen.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2017