When visiting Yangon, one way to really discover the country is to visit Yangon’s detailed National Museum.  It chronicles everything about Myanmar from pre-historic times right to the present day.

The National Museum in Yangon is the country’s main exhibit of Burmese history, art and culture.  Founded in 1952, the museum moved to two different venues until it settled on its current location in a spacious five storey building at Pyay Road in 1996.  An extensive array of priceless artifacts, ornaments, artworks and historic memorabilia are on display in 14 halls on four floors.

The first floor of the museum contains four rooms; the Hall of the Royal Regalia, the Hall of Burmese History, the Hall of Pre-Historic Times and the Hall on Natural History.

The Hall of the Royal Regalia contains eight variations of thrones used by ancient Burmese kings.  Also on display is the Royal Lion Throne, used by King Thibaw, the last monarch of the country.  Visitors can see other beautifully ornamented objects that played a significant role in important royal ceremonies.

The Hall of Burmese History contains exhibits on temples, monasteries and pagodas of the Bagan Period (849 CE to 1287 CE) as well as murals from other important eras of Burmese history.  A rare and ancient votive tablet with moldings of scenes from the Jakata Tales (literature concerning the previous births of Buddha) can also be seen here.

A model of the 11,000 year old Padalin Cave (limestone caves in Western Shan State) complete with Stone Age drawings, and weapons used during the Neolithic Period are at the Hall of Pre-Historic Times.  There are also other relics such as clay pots, urns and necklaces from the Pyu Era (100 BCE to 840 CE).

Numerous fossils dating back millions of years are on display in the Hall on Natural History.  A truly rare and fascinating remnant of an anthropoid primate approximately 40 million years old is housed here.  It was excavated in the Pondaung area in Magway Division, in Central Myanmar.

Visitors can also learn about traditional Burmese culture at several exhibits on the second floor.  The Hall of Music, Song and Dance has a fine display of musical instruments as well as marionettes used in classical dramas and operas.  Visitors can also learn about the social, economic and cultural traditions of rural Burmese at the Hall of Culture.

The Hall of Paintings is on the third floor.  Visitors can observe and appreciate the progress of Burmese art starting from cave paintings all the way to today’s contemporary works.  Also on the third floor is a hall dedicated to the jewelry and other ornaments worn by Burmese people since ancient times.

On the fourth floor there is a hall that houses various Buddha images, some of which date back to the Pyu Era as well as a hall that displays various national dresses of the past.

Yangon is a great place to start if you want to learn about this fascinating country.   Your first visit on our Full Day Yangon City Tour is at the National Museum.  After that, explore the city’s most impressive pagodas as you uncover the diverse history and culture of Myanmar and Yangon.  If you want to fully discover Myanmar, why not try The Very Best of Myanmar tour?  After an enlightening tour of Yangon, explore a country filled with astonishing natural beauty, architectural marvels and colorful cultures as we take you to the main sites and some rarely visited destinations.  You can also see our recommended Myanmar tours for other interesting programs into this magnificent country.