Birmanie : que cachent les 2000 temples de Bagan ? | Documentaire Voyage – AMP

Birmanie : que cachent les 2000 temples de Bagan ? | Documentaire Voyage – AMP

It’s a journey along the water, discovering the most secret country in Southeast Asia, Burma. At the crossroads of several great
civilizations populated by more than a hundred ethnic groups, Burma has
nevertheless managed to forge its own identity. These inhabitants,
renowned for their hospitality, live in harmony with
the elements that surround them. Its history, several thousand years old,
has left an impressive architectural and cultural heritage throughout the country. Closed in on itself until
the 1990s, Burma is now opening up to the rest
of the planet and revealing its marvelous treasures. Landscapes of Mornings of the World,
pagodas and temples by the thousands. Landlocked between China, Laos,
Thailand, Bangladesh and India, Burma, now officially
called Myanmar, has an area of ​​approximately
675,000 square kilometers, the size of France and all
its overseas territories combined. Mandala is located in the dry plains
of the center of the country, immortalized by the famous poem
by Rudyard Kippling, the city is today the second
largest agglomeration of the country, with 2.5 million inhabitants,
of which almost 40 percent are Chinese, who arrived in the 1990s. Founded in 1857,
the city retained its status as capital for only three decades, until
the British preferred Rangun. Mandalais has experienced
many disasters. It was completely devastated during
the Second World War, then partially destroyed by two
huge fires in the 1980s. The city is in perpetual
reconstruction. Its anarchic architecture is found
in a clever mix of endless avenues, decrepit buildings,
colonial mansions and gilded temples. Like the Cuto d’O pagoda, built in 1857. Around the large main stupa, there
are 729 lime-coated stupas. Each of them houses a stele
of a tree on which is engraved a page of the Buddha’s writings. The collection together forms the largest book
in the world, the Tripitaka, the complete texts of the Buddhist canon. The great Buddha Mahamuni is
one of the most venerated in Burma. Legend has it that it was
created during the lifetime of Buddha. The monks clean it
meticulously day after day. Standing 4 meters tall and made of more than 6
tons of bronze, its silhouette is distorted
by the thousands of gold leaves that cover it over
15 centimeters thick. Only men are allowed to stick
gold leaf on the statue, while women pray in the background. Applying gold leaf to a
Buddha statue is a meritorious gesture that ensures better karma. Mandalay is home to the
country’s most renowned gold beaters. A family craft that requires
a lot of know-how. A 48-gram ingot is heated and
then passed between two rollers to flatten it. The operation is repeated until a
thin ribbon about three meters long is obtained. The latter is then cut
into small pieces of one centimeter. And each small square is
placed on a bamboo paper. Placed on top of each other in a leather case,
they are then beaten for half an hour, until
their surface area increases fourfold. Then the women cut them up again
and beat them again to flatten them further. They are finally placed
in larger interlayers to be compressed for 5 hours. This long process makes it possible to obtain
sheets only a few microns thick. The finishing and packaging
are carried out by women. The small initial ingot
thus yielded 7,200 gold leaves. Delicately arranged in small
bamboo paper notebooks, they will be sold in pagodas
or exported throughout the world. It’s a big rent. Another local specialty, tanaka,
is a pale yellow cosmetic paste made from the bark
of several shrubs. It has been used for over 2000 years. Sold in the form of small bundles,
the bark is grated to obtain a powder. This is ground for a long time
before being diluted. Ongan is applied to the face
in more or less elaborate patterns, often a disc on each cheek
and a line on the bridge of the nose. While the patterns reflect
women’s coquetry, it is not just an aesthetic practice. Tanaka protects against sunburn,
softens and moisturizes the skin. It is also known to treat acne
and delay aging. Its scent is somewhat reminiscent
of sandalwood. The Tanaka tree is
endemic to Burma. It is found in particular in the
Bagan region, the historic heart of the country. The cradle of Burmese culture,
Bagan was founded in the 9th century by the Bamar dynasty of kings. At the crossroads of the trade routes
that then linked India and China, Baggan became the capital of a vast
empire that reached its peak in the 11th and 12th centuries. In just over two centuries,
more than 4,000 buildings covered with bas-relief frescoes
and gold were built in Bagan. At the end of the 13th century,
a Mongol incursion marked the end of the first great empire of Burma,
whose capital declined due to earthquakes and pillaging,
until it fell practically into oblivion. The architectural interest of Bacane is
matched only by the beauty of its landscapes. It is almost impossible
to estimate the precise number of temples. An inventory drawn up by a
French team between 1992 and 2002 counted 2,834 of them, many of which were in ruins. It was partly thanks to the opening
of Myanmar to tourism in the 1990s
that this incredible architectural heritage came out of obscurity,
prompting a campaign of preservation and restoration. Visitors are
increasingly walking around the area, but the presence of pilgrims and
Buddhist monks reminds us that the site is not just an open-air museum. A true pride of the country,
Bagan is also the religious epicenter of a deeply Buddhist nation. To discover Burma, there’s nothing
like getting a little height. From the sky, these thousand-year-old temples
reveal all their majesty. The Irawadi River crosses Burma from
north to south for more than 2,000 kilometers. It stretches from the India
-China border to the Andaman Sea. A vital artery,
comparable to the Nile for Egypt, it is still the main transport axis
for the population and goods. The country’s history was
built along its shores. Today, it is its
hydroelectric potential that is attracting interest. Iraouadi is also at the center
of many ecological and socio-economic issues. He has always inspired
the country’s poets and musicians. The art of the harp is said to be
an ancient art dating back to the time of the monarchy. It was at the request of kings that people
began to play the harp, you know. At that time, during the shows,
it was the harpists who made the music so that the
dancer could dance. With my harp, I would like to share
Burmese culture with the whole world. You know,
for me, visiting Burma is not just about seeing
beautiful landscapes and meeting people. There is also a real
history and culture. There is traditional Burmese dance,
which dates back to the time of the monarchy in Burma. You know, at that time,
we kept the dancers just for the king. And over time, we started
to introduce Thai dance. Thai dance is
somewhat similar to Burmese dance. See the hands, the gestures. We have the same gestures. We turn, and then we go up, and we open. These are gestures that we
make with our hands. Very simply,
a young girl who needs to do her hair, and instead of talking,
we do the dances to show how it’s done. When we dance for plays,
we are interpreting the last 550 lives of Buddha. We had to interpret what the Buddha
had in his previous lives. The
dance punctuates the pouet, a popular spectacle which
sometimes lasts until the early hours of the morning. He is accompanied by a
percussion orchestra, fore-instruments and harps. Besides dance, it mainly
consists of puppet shows. This theatre, considered the first major
form of artistic expression in the country, was born in the 5th century. It reached its peak between the 17th
and the end of the 18th century. These 28 traditional characters
teach, tell stories and transmit values. The repertoire is inspired by the 500 lives
of Buddha, the history of the kingdoms of Burma
and legends from India, populated by benevolent spirits
and fantastic creatures. Some puppets
reach a meter in height. And it sometimes takes up to
fifty wires to manipulate them. These wooden figurines are made
by artisans who each have their own specificities and signatures. I have been practicing this traditional profession of puppeteer
for over 35 years now. Before, I was a peasant farmer. And one day, during a pilgrimage,
I arrived in a town and discovered how much the
stone craft fascinated the visitors. A puppet, embroidery. I liked the puppets. So I bought one and took it
apart completely to see how it was made. And I completely reassembled it. That’s how I learned. 35 years ago now. In plays there are many different characters. There is the king, the queen, the prince, the young princess, the monkeys, the villains, the spirits,
the ogres and also the mythical animals. We
try to preserve the traditional way of doing things
and also the historical costumes. I teach my children every day. In our time,
children were very happy to see puppet shows. But today,
it almost no longer exists. And if we don’t pay attention
to this heritage, how can we show young people and future
generations what a traditional Burmese puppet show is? This must absolutely be preserved. And that’s what I’m trying to do. In Burma, Buddha is everywhere. It is found in a thousand and one forms,
multiplied to infinity, as here, in the Sadan caves,
where it rubs shoulders with bats, or in the Kogun caves,
in Paham, where thousands of clay effigies adorn the walls and ceilings. In Burma, there are 5% Christians
like the Karen, 4,100% Muslims like the Rohingya and 90% Buddhists. It is the Buddhist country with the
highest proportion of monks and income devoted to religion. Burmese Buddhism stems
from the Thera Vada tradition, the most orthodox and conservative form. Buddhism is strictly speaking
neither a religion nor a philosophy, since it does not recognize a
creator God and does not express a theory. Rather, it is a doctrine based
on the belief in reincarnation, karma, and the natural law
of cause and effect. Yet, in fact,
Burmese Buddhism is akin to a religion. This is evidenced by the fervor of the faithful in
the countless pagodas and sacred places. Its practice coexists with
tantric, Hindu and ancient animist beliefs in
spirits called nat. Spirituality is
omnipresent throughout the country. Besides the 500,000 monks and nuns
who make up 1% of the population,
religious representations are everywhere. Every Burmese village has at least
one pagoda or temple dedicated to worship or teaching. And statues of Buddha or saints are
found everywhere, even in the middle of nature. In the heart of these tropical forests,
it is not uncommon to have an even more impressive encounter. After India, Burma has
the largest number of Asian elephants. It is said to be home to nearly 8,000 of them. Two-thirds are used
in the forestry industry for the logging of teak, a
precious wood exported worldwide. My name is Mang Mang. I am 55 years old. I am Uzi. I work with elephants. Do you see the little boy following us? This is my son. And I teach him and
show him the ropes. When I was a kid,
my father passed on all his knowledge to me and to pass on to my son. My day starts at 6:00 in the morning. When I wake up, I go and look for the
elephants who spent the night outside. I have breakfast, I wash them
and I go to work with them. By working with elephants,
we have become attached to them. We really take care of them with their grooming, for example. A moment of relaxation that
the pachyderms seem to appreciate. We start training elephants when they are four or five years old and they start
working when they are around 18. Elephants are workers. Before, it was just for getting on
and walking around for travel. Every year, adult males equipped
with harnesses and oak, carry more than a million tons of wood. They can move in
tighter spaces than cranes and bulldozers, without unduly damaging
their surroundings. Using their trunks and
tusks, they handle logs weighing up to 5 tonnes
and transport them to the truck and the banks of the rivers. My elephant, his name is Tin Pinai. She is a female and she
is 32 years old. We work I am
at the age of 35, 40 years old. I also started when I was 16. Since I can still work,
I continue in the profession. This job is a bit of a passion of mine. As it is an exciting job, there
is never a moment when I don’t want to do it anymore. I only work with these elephants. We get attached to elephants. We don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. A true backbone of the country, Iraouadi bathes the large provinces shared by the 135 ethnic groups
officially recorded by the government. The Bamars represent
70% of the population. Among the most important groups,
however, the Shans and the Cachines occupy the northern regions,
the Chines and the Aracanais, the West, the Bammars and the Kaya, the Center. The Karen and the Mons, the South. The Rohingya have never been
recognized as a Burmese minority. According to the authorities,
they are Bangladeshi immigrants. These groups are joined by the Chinese,
Indians and Nepalese. The various countries were only united in the
18th century to come under British rule from 1824 to 1943. This complex mosaic,
as well as the hundred or so languages and dialects spoken,
partly explain the difficulty of integration for some minorities. Since 2005, Rangun has lost its status
as administrative capital to Naipido, but it remains the
economic hub and the country’s largest city,
with nearly 4.5 million inhabitants. Founded by the Mons in the 6th century,
it was only from the 18th century that it experienced real economic expansion. Heavily damaged by fire,
then during the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852,
the city was incorporated into the British Raj and became the capital
of colonial Burma. Burma remained British until
January 4, 1948, when it gained
independence thanks to the national hero Angsan, who was assassinated
without seeing his dream come true. The country then experienced a period
of democracy and brief stability. Twelve years later,
the government was overthrown. The military dictatorship quickly led the
country to poverty and isolationism. In 1988, pro-
democracy demonstrations were bloodily repressed. Angsan Sook Yee, daughter of the hero Angsan,
returns from exile and founds the National League for Democracy. In 1991 she received
the Nobel Peace Prize. An extremely popular opposition figure
, she embarrassed the people who placed her under house arrest. She led her party to victory
in the 2015 legislative elections. She began a transition
to democracy, but she had to deal with the army,
which held the vast majority of the country’s decision-making positions and
economic resources. Since 2016,
she has been heavily criticized for her passivity in the face of
the army’s abuses against the Rohingya. Far from this ethno-religious conflict,
the bustling Rangún mixes different origins and religions. Fishing is one of the
most important economic activities in the country. It ranks third,
after agriculture and forestry. The Burmese eat fish at almost every meal, even at breakfast, with the inevitable mohinga. This national dish consists of
fish broth accompanied by rice noodles flavored with lemongrass
and ginger. It is consumed on street corners. It is served in small kiosks
or by street vendors who carry their cauldrons on chickens. Along with fish, rice,
noodles and curries form the basis of the diet. Located in the heart of the city, the spectacular Chouet d’Agon Pagoda is considered the
most sacred building in the country. Legend has it that it was
built 2,500 years ago to house eight hairs of Buddha. These sacred relics were said to have been offered
to two merchants by Gautama Buddha himself and the pagoda
built at his request. When the box containing
Buddha’s hair was opened, it began to shine. The trees blossomed and
precious stones fell from the sky to be set in the gold of the pagoda. Archaeologists estimate its
construction to have been between the 6th and 10th centuries under the Mon dynasty. In reality, the monument, which has been
repeatedly damaged by earthquakes and fires,
has been restored and enriched so often that it is difficult to date precisely. The pagoda rests on a terrace
overlooking the horizon, paved with marble and covering more than 5 hectares. The richness and splendor of the building
are beyond compare. The central stupa,
about a hundred meters high, is covered with thousands of
gold plaques and decorated with thousands of bells. It is surrounded by 72 small pagodas,
temples and prayer halls. Hundreds of Buddha statues,
gleaming with gold, populate every corner of the site. Monks and worshippers pray
and place sunrise and sunset offerings in this
most sacred place in the country. My monk name is,
I come from a small village called Tataung and
I have been a monk for a little over 13 years. Today I am 34 years old. Becoming a monk is a bit like separating yourself from the suffering of life. But it is not enough
to want to become a monk. We must follow the doctrines of Buddha. We wake up every
day at 4am. And with the other monks, we
recite prayers in the monastery. Afterwards, we leave
to ask for the offerings. And on the way back, we take
a short rest. We eat around 5:00-10:40. And after the meal, we do the laundry
and meet up with our notebooks in the monastery for classes. Once again, around 9:30 a.m.,
we set off back into the village to ask for lunch. We return around 10:40
to prepare and eat this meal. We will then take
a nap until 1:00 p.m. Then we study the texts again,
and around 5:45 p.m., we say another prayer. Because according to the rules,
there is a curfew at 9:15 p.m. for sleeping. This is our program for a
typical day in this monastery. The Burmese Buddhist is in
constant contact with his belief. As a child, he heard his parents recite
sacred texts when he woke up, then he saw his mother preparing
offerings for the monks. Between the ages of 9 and 12,
he temporarily left his family to perform his novitia. This ceremony constitutes
an essential rite of passage. A meal offered to the monks
brings the family together for one last time. The next morning, his head is shaved and
he dons the saffron robe of the community. This retreat confronts the young boy
with strict discipline and the study of the scriptures.
Culture. He thus
symbolically renounces childhood. Later, at any point in his
life, he will rejoin the community. Both men and women
often take their monastic vows at a key moment in their lives, such as a death,
separation, or sometimes after success. They will be full monks or nuns, for
as long as necessary to achieve spiritual balance. A week, a month, or a lifetime. The
Golden Rock, suspended in balance over a precipice,
is the third most sacred site in Burma. Thousands of pilgrims come every
year to demonstrate their devotion at an altitude of 1,200 meters. The bravest climb the path
on foot, which takes almost 5 hours. According to legend,
it is a hair of Buddha, enshrined in the stupa above it,
which prevents the rock from falling into the void. Buddha is said to have offered this hair
to a hermit who kept it preciously in his bun. Sensing his death was approaching,
he entrusted the relic to his king and recommended that he build a pagoda in
the shape of his head. With the help of the god Tagamine,
the king found the perfect rock at the bottom of the ocean and hoisted it
to the top of the mountain. This is why the rock is called Caïctillo, which means: the pagoda
on the head of the hermit. The
Rock blazes in the setting sun, soon replaced by the votive candles
that accompany the songs and prayers. From dawn, the Rock and its small
open-air chapels are taken over by the faithful. As if the flow of attention and
prayers had never stopped. The site is surrounded by
panoramic terraces where women stand, who are not allowed to touch
the rock, let alone apply gold leaf to it. According to tradition, only a man can attain the state of Buddha. Women can only claim the
first degree of spiritual awakening. Once I went to Kagami. This pagoda was erected
right in the middle of the water. And just below, Buddha was there. The pagoda was erected on this exact spot. But women are
not allowed to go to the pagoda. What I know from the stories
is that men are more sacred than women. They are healthier. Women are not,
according to the stories. It is forbidden
for women to go into pagodas. Otherwise, misfortunes will befall
those women who enter it. There will be lightning, thunderstorms. My nun title is Dao Dawadi. I come from the village of Palukyon. I am 70 years old and have been a nun for 50 years. Being a nun,
for a Buddhist, is the most noble and sacred thing a
woman could wish for. As a nun, I learn prayers
and practice meditation. From life, from my life to the good one. When one becomes a nun,
one knows the doctrines of the Buddha. How to live by practicing
the basic rules. We are no more cultured
than a normal woman. Monastic orders here have
a social and intellectual stance. They are also the guarantee of a
long and complete education. Located in eastern Burma,
Inley Lake is the main tourist center of Shan State. It measures almost 22 kilometers long
and 10 kilometers wide, with a total area of ​​12,000 hectares. Depending on the season,
its depth varies from 2 to 4 meters. These banks are bordered by the villages
of the Hinta, nearly 70,000 of whom live
in small wooden houses built on stilts. Life unfolds slowly there,
to the rhythm of the seasons. After lunch, the children
go to school by boat, alone. This means of transport is as natural
for them as the bicycle is for little Westerners. The level of education in
the breweries remains low. The
main reason is the extreme poverty of a majority of the 52 million
inhabitants, two-thirds of whom work in agriculture. This atrophied school system is also
the result of the policies implemented during 50 years
of military dictatorships. However, school is increasingly
in the spirit of beers, an obvious and real desire. Agriculture on Inley Lake is unique in that it is practiced on floating gardens. Plant mats about a meter
thick, made up of silt, roots and surface aquatic plants
, are anchored to the lake with bamboo. This method has the advantage of
not depending on the water level and allows you to grow all kinds
of vegetables throughout the year. But what you mainly find
here, on these long strips of floating vegetable gardens , are tomatoes. Greedy for water and sun,
they find everything they need here. As a result, Inta farmers are turning
to intensive tomato monoculture. Its performance on Inley Lake is
significantly higher than the Southeast Asian average. But this seemingly
idyllic setting has a hidden side. The intensive use of
chemicals pollutes the lake and the effects on its ecosystem are dramatic. The nutrients added promote
the proliferation of algae and water hyacinth, which threaten
to suffocate the lake’s wildlife. The increasing
population also caused the deforestation of the surrounding hills,
increasing the influx of silt. Among the many aquatic plants in the lake, there is a unique species of Lotus. Its stem has the particularity of containing
a multitude of filaments from which a sort of silk is made
that is found nowhere else. With it, luxurious
fabrics are embroidered and sold at high prices. The manufacturing process, which is entirely manual,
makes it very long. It takes almost a month of work and 4,000
lotus stems to make a single scarf. Although they are gradually turning
to other activities such as welcoming tourists who are arriving in ever-
increasing numbers, the Hintas live mainly
from agriculture and fishing. They maneuver their canoe in a
unique and spectacular way by standing at the stern. They use only one oar
around which they wrap their legs to row,
leaving their hands free for fishing. The surface area of ​​Inley Lake is decreasing
alarmingly, as are its fish stocks. The first to be affected by these
upheavals are of course the fishermen who are finding it increasingly difficult
to provide for their families. I was born on Inle Lake. I grew up there and married my wife. The lake feeds me and makes me live off these
fish, even if it is getting harder and harder. I had some
unforgettable moments on the lake. Many sweet memories come back to me. My school days with my classmates. I had to stop my studies
when my father fell ill. I took over
and became a fisherman myself. I spent some wonderful
evenings rowing on the lake. I was born on Lake Inme. I grew up there and I will die there. So, it will be my children
who will live from it and who will make it live.

Les mystères de la Birmanie révélés à travers ses temples, ses pagodes et ses habitants. ✋Les plus belles destinations, c’est ici 👉 https://bit.ly/2Vlfz9o 👈 Abonnez vous ! 🙏

00:00 – Introduction à la Birmanie
01:53 – Mandalay et ses pagodes
03:59 – L’art de la feuille d’or
05:51 – Le Tanaka, secret de beauté birman
07:17 – La vallée de Bagan et ses temples
11:21 – Arts, danse et marionnettes
17:40 – Bouddhisme et spiritualité
21:00 – Les éléphants en Birmanie
24:57 – Diversité ethnique et histoire
29:29 – La pagode Shwedagon à Rangoun
41:17 – Le lac Inle et ses pêcheurs

Il y a plus d’un siècle, Rudyard Kipling écrivait : « la Birmanie, un pays différent de tout ce que vous connaissez ». Aujourd’hui encore, les voyageurs les plus érudits continuent à être surpris, charmés et touchés par les trésors et la culture birmane.

Ce film traverse le pays pour montrer les 2.000 temples de la vallée de Bagan sortant de la brume, les pêcheurs du lac Inle, les lagons de l’archipel Myeik.

Nous découvrons des lieux mémorables en partageant le quotidien de ses habitants.

👉 A voir également sur Voyage du Bout du Monde :
Bénin, Mali, Madagascar : la vie autour des marchés https://youtu.be/ku7jBrs2FP4
Gabon, sanctuaire de la biodiversité africaine https://youtu.be/OfecRKT89hw
INDONÉSIE, l’archipel aux 500 VOLCANS : Entre Traditions et Éruptions https://youtu.be/qP5hTNPrkOo

“BIRMANIE – DES PAGODES ET DES MYSTERES”
Un film de Sébastien Lefebvre
Droits réservés

#Birmanie #Myanmar #DocumentaireVoyage #Bagan #LacInle #Pagodes #CultureBirmane #Exploration