U Bein
The Longest Teak Wood Bridge in the World.
U Bein Bridge is a crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura in Mandalay, Myanmar. The 1.2 kilometre bridge was built around 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. Construction began when the capital of Inn Wa Kingdom moved to Amarapura, and the bridge is named after Maung Bein who had it built. It is used as an important passageway for the local people and has also become a tourist attraction and, therefore, a significant source of income for souvenir sellers. It is particularly busy during July and August when the lake is at its highest. Amarapura is one of the former capital of Myanmar for 74 years from 1783 to 1857. It now remains to be an ancient city in Mandalay region. After that, King Minndone decided to relocate the capital and move it to Mandalay. Interestingly, the materials used to build up the bridge were achieved from the Inn Wa Palace during the transition time. The bridge was built from 1000 pillars and thousands of pallets. All materials were completely wood. Another interesting fact about the bridge is its name. It was named after the mayor of Amarapura, U Bein back to that day. When the King Minndone moved the capital, U Bein was the person who came up with the idea of making use of the unused wooden sticks of the palace to erect the bridge. At the time, the engineers did not have such modern method to measure but did that by counting their footsteps. When the mayor U Bein constructed the bridge, he wanted this bridge would help his villagers reduce the time commuting between the 2 banks of the river. Since that time, U Bein Bridge has been a best friend with the locals of Amarapura. For around 150 years, it has help children go to school; villagers reach the markets; and fishermen in catching fishes. Undeniable, the bridge plays an integral part and makes their life much easier. Time after time, as the U Bein Bridge started to gain popularity among travelers all over the world. It also helps a hand in raising the income of local people because it made the villagers get involved in doing tourism. A large number of local people in Amarapura have earned their living by serving the travelers visiting the bridge every day. They are able to sell souvenirs, food and drinks and fishermen do the short boat trips to take travelers to visit the lake.
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