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Colonial Architecture

Built around 1910 at the height of the British Raj this was originally a Rowe & Co. department store - the "Harrod's of the East".

It's been through wars, earthquakes, cyclones and decades of neglect but has recently been brought back to its former opulence by the AYA Bank.

Unlike many SE Asian countries (e.g. Saigon and Vientiane) that seem more than happy to demolish all traces of their colonial past, the Burmese are trying to bring these beauties back to life - and there are dozens more of them in varying stages of rack and ruin in the downtown area.