All of the colonial buildings we will visit are situated in town center Yangon, in other words, former British Colonial Rangoon proper, and are positioned relatively close together. The easy resolution pattern of the city’s layout makes it easy to find ones way around. That’s why the best way to explore Colonial Rangoon is by foot. Another reason for walking instead of using a car is that the permanent traffic jams and a chronic lack of parking space

of this type makes the vehicle being more problem than advantage. We cannot and need not to see all colonial buildings for this would be too much for one day and this article. The tour I have planned for today includes 30 major buildings that bear accounts to Rangoon’s 成立有限公司 present days Yangon’s wonderful colonial past. All of them belong to the most precious gems of British Colonial Rangoon’s treasure trove. And, please, if you want to do yourself a give preference to make plenty of photos of them because it will definitely function as the last time that you have the chance to see the buildings as they are. In the not so far future there will a yet unknown number of them be completely faded, totally shabby or ‘restored’ in a manner that leaves nothing of their to some extent still existing, leave alone former, colonial charm. We will of course see a lot of other to some extent still beautiful old colonial buildings that have interesting stories to tell but have to keep focussed on those I have selected for our tour; we will otherwise be too much distracted and not get ready today. Please stay close together, mind your steps and do

not stray from the group. OK, the starting point in our walk through British Colonial Rangoon will be the former Rangoon General Hospital. From there we continue to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, located in direct community of the Scott Market, then to the former Burmah Railways Headquarters, the former Rangoon Railway Station, and so on. When we arrive at the buildings I will give you some related basic information. There is of course for the better more to say about the buildings and their history but this article does not provide enough space for all this data. Further very important information related to this you will find at the end of this article.

So, ladies and males, today we have arrived at the Yangon, earlier (Rangoon) General Hospital where our today’s ‘Colonial Yangon View Seeing Tour’ begins. We are here on Bogyoke Aung San Road, the former Commissioner’s Road. In front of us you can see opposed to this of the road a healthcare facility, built from 1899 to 1905 and opened on ’07 May the same year. It is here were Aung San — who was hospitalised to be treated for the injuries

he sustained in 1942 during the Burma Campaign — meets his later wife Daw Khin Kyi who serves here as senior nurse. Later their third child will be a daughter, which will give the name Aung San Su Kyi. The Yangon General hospital is the site were Burmese members of the military commit a massacre during the uprising in 1988 by indiscriminately killing a large number of hospital patience, because they believe that said patience have sustained their wounds during the demonstrations. Please make now your photos and let us then continue eastwards on Aung San Road (former Commissioner’s Road) to the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the corner of Aung San Road (former Montgomery Road) and Shwedagon Pagoda Road, the former Pagoda Road. Now you are confused about the street names? Well, this side of Aung San Road is the former Commissioner’s Road and from the cross-roads at the cathedral on it is the former Montgomery Road.

Right in front of us we’ve the primary Anglican cathedral in Burma; the Holy Trinity Cathedral on No. 446 Bogyoke Aung San Road. It is one of Rangoon’s earliest colonial buildings. The Holy Trinity Cathedral is on the Yangon Heritage List. Now it is time to move about the former Scott Market, now Bogyoke Aung San Market. Its main entrance is about 500 feet/155 metres down Aung San Road from through eastern direction. I will be there in a few minutes.

Today we have reached the main entrance to the long hub corridor of the Scott Market at Bogyoke Aung San Road (former Montgomery Road), since 1948 called Bogyoke Market (by locals Bogyoke Zay (zay meaning market), after the Burmese national idol Bogyoke (General) Aung San. Not well regarded is that his real name (birth name) was Htein Lin; Aung San is the name he’s taken on at the time he was student leader. The market is created on the driveway of a former tram terminus, was opened in 1926 and named after Mr. Garvin Scott, who was from 1917 to 1930 (17 years) Chief executive officer of the Rangoon Corporation and during his stint twice us president of the Rangoon Municipality.

The Bogyoke Aung San Market is on the Yangon Heritage List. OK, let’s continue our tour. When we get out of the market we turn left on the Aung San Road, and pass the FMT building and the Zawgyi Restaurant. Then we will see the Grand May Yaa Hta Executive Residence building and our actual point of interest, the former Burma Railways Headquarters at the corner of Aung San Road and Sule Pagoda Road.

Here it is, the former Burma Railways Headquarters building complex at the corner of former Montgomery Road, now Aung San Road and Sule Pagoda Road. In 1896 three railway companies combined into one railway company under contract with the Assistant of State for The indian subcontinent; the state-owned ‘Burmah Railways Company’ has come into being and moves into this new headquarters.

Now we are on Sule Pagoda Road and over there on the right side you can already see the railway tracks and the backside of the railway station. In front of us opposed to this of the bridge on which we are now walking you see the Methodist Church (Scots Kirk) and over there on the right hand side the Aung San Sports Grounds & Arena. Let us now turn promptly into Kun Chan Road and look at the railway station from its front side. We continue to Phayre Street now Pansodan Street; the stairs there in front of us lead up to the fly-over. On Pansodan Street we turn right, cross the bridge, continue to Bogyoke Aung San Road, turn left, and follow the Aung San Road till Bo Aung Kyaw Road, former Initiates Road. There at the corner of Bo Aung Kyaw Road and Aung San Road is the Saint. Mary’s Cathedral located, which is our next British colonial point of interest.

Well, my friends, this became quite a little walk but we have made it. Here you see Myanmar’s largest cathedral, the St . Mary’s Cathedral at No. 372, Bo Aung Kyaw Street. We will now cross the Archbishop’s Residence compound located behind the cathedral’s compound. They use a nice garden and the Archbishop’s Residence is a beautiful building. It is normally prohibited to take this way in order to get to Thein Byu Road, the former Judah

Ezekiel Road, but I know some people here and we can for once make use of this shortcut. So, we have surpassed the Archbishop’s Residence compound and are standing in front of it on Thein Byu Road. We turn right and a few steps further downtown you can see one of the sports grounds of the former Saint. Paul’s English High school. At the corner we turn right again onto the former Frazer/Bigandet Street, now Anawrahta Road where we will see the school’s main entrance and main building.