Yangon Heritage Trust

Yangon


The small gallery of historic photographs here gives an idea of how downtown Yangon used to look. There's a great view of lower Pansodan St's grand facades from the open balcony, particularly of the once grand but now decaying Yangon Divisional Court and the art deco Myanmar Economic Bank 2 opposite.

For excellent overviews of the city's historic architecture, the trust organises walking tours covering four different circuits around downtown.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yangon attractions

1. Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank

0.03 MILES

This 1930s building designed by Thomas Oliphant Forster and Basil Ward is one of Pansodan St's grandest buildings. It originally housed the National Bank…

2. Yangon Divisional Court

0.04 MILES

This ailing, pastel-coloured building is one of the oldest masonry structures in Yangon, dating from around 1900. Its original use was as the Currency…

3. Myanma Port Authority

0.04 MILES

This grand building is a landmark on the Strand with its striking square corner tower and bas-relief sculptures of ships on the facade. For a brief time…

4. Inland Waterways Department

0.05 MILES

This building was once the headquarters of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and has weathered the passage of time well. Cross the road to admire its upper…

5. Customs House

0.07 MILES

The red-brick Customs House, built between 1912 and 1916 and designed by John Begg, one the Raj's principal architects, is still functioning for its…

6. Sofaer's Building

0.11 MILES

In desperate need of love and attention, this crumbling Italianate building, constructed by the Jewish-Baghdadi trader Isaac A Sofaer, still has original…

7. 491-501 Merchant St

0.17 MILES

Around 250 workers were trained in new skills for the sensitive restoration in 2016 of this two-storey colonial-era building, home to 80 residents from 12…