The National Races Village, representing as a small Union of Myanmar, near the city of Yangon, is an attractive site for a visit. If tourists who have no sufficient time to travel throughout Myanmar, I would like to suggest them to visit the National Races Village for observing traditions and customs of Myanmar National Races. Now, I would like to present to our audience salient aspects of the “National Races Village”.

The village is a magnificent spectacle of Myanmar nationals:

Kachin, Kayar, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine and Shan where the visitors can study their houses, traditional customs, utensils and model significant places of the respective regions displayed there. The village opens daily for visitors.

The National races village, being built on the bank of Bago River, located in Tharkayta Township, Yangon Division, near the motorway at the end of significant Yangon. Thanlyin bridge, which was built to memorize Chinese-Myanmar friendship. The visitors can to there via Shukhinthar road and approach road of Thanlyn bridge. The Bago River is incessantly and quietly flowing in the east of the National Races Village.

The village was inaugurated on 28th December in year 2000.It is on 117.45 acres of land.

We have presented about the traditional houses of Kayin, Chin and Kachin national races in the second part of this programme.

Now, we are presenting aspects of the traditional houses of Shan and Kayah national races.

After observing the Kachin national’s house and birds, you will also have a chance to study the house of Shan nationals near the bank of a replica of pleasant Innlay Lake while breathing the air coming across the surface of the lakes.

The house is elegantly built on long posts and it has two parallel roofing’s and a wide Perron. Smiling Shan damsels will cordially greet the visitors. The parlor of the house is attractive with the photographs of ancestors and relatives as well as “Toenaya” and Shan traditional long drum, musical instruments and fascinating utensils. In the interior of the house, there are prayer-room, parlour, bed room, kitchen and traditional costumes, like in other houses of the national races. There is a souvenior shop on the ground floor for the visitors to buy commemorative gifts. The visitors can also study the golden deers and fowns frisking about the house.

If the visitors go ahead, there is the traditional house of Kayah nationals where the visitors could see a statue of “KainNayi and KaiNaya” which are Mythical birds, and also the emblem of Kayah nationals. The house is neatly built on long post and beautiful Kayah damsels will be welcoming the visitors with hospitality. The visitors can find in the house musical instruments, utensils and traditional costumes as well as Kayah “bronze Drum” and arms for hunting. In the yard, there is a statue of “KainNayi and KainNaya” and a “DagunDaing” or post, a small replica of NgweDaung dam and “Taung Gwe” Pagoda as well. If the visitors continue to walk from the Kayah national’s house, they will find a large statue of a Padaung national and the bank of wide Bago River ad Thanlyin Bridge over it, and green and lush mangroves along the river banks as attractive sceneries for the visitors. The visitors’ study tour of the National Races Village is complete after studying the Kayah national’s house.

Furthermore, as the colourful flowers are blooming in the village, it is a pleasant place for recreation.

Restaurants, suvenior shops and test-houses are also opened there. So, it is worth to go on a picnic, individually, family-wise or in groups. The restaurants will serve Myanmar traditional cuisine or national foods for the taste of the visitors.

There are mini vehicles to go around the national races villages for sight seeing. The visitors can also relax for peace of mind in the rest- house and children can also play freely and happily as there is a play-ground in the village.

A full day is needed to study completely in the national races village. It is the most suitable recreation centre for families as well as people looking for knowledge and tourists, who are interested in Myanmar scenic views.