THE Bagan Ancient Cultural Heritage Zone hosted a higher number of visitors, creating high job opportunities during the Thadingyut festival.
Bagan area was crowded with travellers during Thadingyut festival and school holidays from 4 to 7 October, and all the hotel rooms were also fully booked during these days, and the monasteries were also packed with visitors. Meanwhile, some visitors stayed at the hotels of Mount Popa. Some visitors slept beside the road.
“The number of visitors to Bagan this year is higher than last year. There were over 10,000 visitors to Htilominlo temple before and after the full moon day, and there are over 8,000 visitors today. Most of the visitors are domestic ones. The weather conditions are fine, the place is packed with visitors, and locals are happy as they can earn properly. When there are large crowds of visitors, there are not enough hotels in Bagan. The visitors have to stay at the hotels of Mount Popa to visit Bagan before and after the full moon day,” said U Tin Hla Oo, secretary of Htilominlo temple.
On the full moon day, there were 150,000 visitors to Bagan, and the 18 famous pagodas and temples were packed with visitors at night. The open season in Bagan is from Thadingyut to Tagu. The place hosted the expected numbers of visitors, and the locals also expected a high volume of visitors, including tourists during the Tazaungdaing Shwezigon pagoda festival, and Nattaw and Pyatho.
“The open season runs properly. The Bagan hotels were fully booked from 5 to 7 October and until 10. Last year, the number of visitors declined after the full moon day, but this year the site has been packed with visitors until today. There are only a few numbers of tourists, but they are expected to come during the open season. The operators of horse carts, e-bikes, cycles and bicycles also make proper profits. We are very happy as the locals can earn well,” said an official of the Bagan hotel.
Although a bridge along the Meiktila-Kyaukpadaung road was destroyed due to water erosion, 18 famous pagodas and temples in Bagan were crowded with visitors. — Thitsa (MNA)/ KTZH
