Bagan, located in an active earthquake zone, had suffered from many earthquakes over the ages, with over 400 recorded earthquakes between 1904 and 1975. A major earthquake occurred on 8 July 1975, reaching 8 MM in Bagan and Myinkaba, and 7 MM in Nyaung-U. The quake damaged many temples, in many cases, such as the Bupaya, severely and irreparably. Today, 2229 temples and pagodas remain. Many of these damaged pagodas underwent restorations in the 1990s by the military government, which sought to make Bagan an international tourist destination. However, the restoration efforts instead drew widespread condemnation from art historians and preservationists worldwide. Critics are against that the restorations paid little attention to original architectural styles, and used modern materials, Bagan,Myanmar,2017.

woman leaving her home to go and work in the fields, Chin State, Myanmar,2017.

This is Shen Om and some of her grandchildren. She is not exactly sure how many grandchildren she has. After counting with her fingers for a while she gave up and explained that at least she was sure she had two sons and three daughters. When asked about her age she laughed and said she was around sixty. probably not. Chin State, Myanmar, 2017.