To the millions of Myanmar Buddhists who still visit it, Mandalay symbolizes, nominally at least, the Rome of this "Golden Land." It is a royal "City of Gems."
The city was originally founded by King Thibaw to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Ananda, a disciple of the Buddha, supposedly foretold the establishment of a religious metropolis at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Thenceforward, change was a rare visitor. As recently as a decade ago, Mandalay remained a complex of narrow, dusty streets, chaotic markets and sleepily moving traffic -- the very epitome of old Asia.
That has all changed now. An influx of goods in the last several years has created pockets of wealth, transforming central Mandalay into a core of high-rise buildings, modern shops and hotels, and brand-new homes, many owned by Chinese and Yunnanese merchants or by the ethnic bosses of Mandalay's notorious drug rackets.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.