Chinese Government provides RMB 200 million grant for Myanmar National Center for Bagan Thatbyinnyu Pahto Restoration Project

Project narrative

On August 24, 2016, 425 ancient pagodas and temples in Bagan — including the 60-meter-high Thatbyinnyu Pahto — were damaged during a 4.8 magnitude earthquake. Built in Bagan city in 1144, Thatbyinnyu Pahto features unique Buddhist art and an eye-catching architectural style that has earned it the title of a ‘sacred landscape.’ It was listed as a world heritage site at the 43rd session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee. In May 2017, the Chinese Government and the Government of Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the Bagan Thatbyinnyu Pahto Restoration Project. Then, on September 22, 2018, the Chinese Government and the Government of Myanmar signed an exchange of letters, which committed RMB 200 million of grant funding for the Bagan Thatbyinnyu Pahto Restoration Project. The purpose of the project is to repair 425 ancient pagodas and temples in Bagan — including the 60-meter-high Thatbyinnyu Pahto (also known as Thatbyinnyu Pashto) — that were damaged during the August 2016 earthquake. The restoration project is jointly managed by Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Yunnan Chengcheng Construction Supervision Co., Ltd, while the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Engineering Co., Ltd. are responsible for implementation the restoration work. A Chinese archaeology team was dispatched to the project site on April 22, 2019 to undertake preliminary assessment work. By June 12, 2019, the team had conducted emergency repair and reinforcement work on the temple. The team subsequently conducted a comprehensive survey of the building, including preparing a detailed design for the restoration plan. Restoration work commenced on January 8, 2022 and was originally expected to reach completion within 9 years (January 8, 2031). The work will be carried out in accordance with UNESCO standards.