SW visits Kayin State
By Itsarin Tisantia
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
Kayin State is a popular tourist destination in Myanmar. Besides lush green forests and high hills, the state is full of natural resources, centuries-old cultural heritage and interesting ways of life.
For this week’s Freeze Frame, SW explores the peaceful Kayin State area.
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A group of Buddhists walk through Payathonsu Market, where people make merit during Uposatha Day, which is traditionally spent practicing meditation and observing Buddhist teachings. |
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A monk walks past a prayer hall at Sao Roi Ton Temple, one of the well-known religious sites in Kayin State. |
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One of the state’s popular local products is different kinds of preserved freshwater fish. |
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The Songkalia River is an important natural resource that locals have long nurtured. Along the river are ruins of Wang Wiwekaram Temple, which was submerged in 1984. |
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The second floor of Sao Roi Ton Temple is used as a classroom for novices. The temple still uses blackboards for teaching Buddhist lessons. |
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Villagers release lanterns during the Loy Ruea Sado Khro ceremony, held to take away bad fortune. |
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Apart from fruit and other types of food, elderly locals offer monks bottles of honey, sesame oil and flowers, which can be used as health products and herbal medicines. |
EXERCISE
Read Freeze Frame. Then, match each of the following words used in the story with the correct definitions.
| …… 1. herbal | a. the parts of a building that remain after it has been destroyed or damaged |
| …… 2. submerge | b. made of or connected with herbs |
| …… 3. novice | c. to make something go under the surface of water or another liquid |
| …… 4. ruins | d. a person who has joined a religious group and is preparing to become a nun or a monk |
Vocabulary
- fortune (n): chance or luck, especially in the way that it affects people’s lives
nurture (v): to care for and protect something so that it can develop successfully
freshwater (adj): living in water that is not the sea and is not salty
