New Tourist Attraction: Walking Tour On 85-Year Old Winding Pipeline

A historic walking tour of Yangon on top of an 85-year-old winding maze of water pipelines has attracted various foreign expatriates and domestic tourists who had been cooped up at home amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The pipeline is considered a lifeblood of Yangon, distributing water to the 4.5 million people in the state since it was built by the British in 1935 during the colonial period before the World War II.

Recognizing the potential for a new tourist attraction, the Yangon City Development Council have also helped clear overgrown shrubbery and bush around parts of the pipeline.

FOUNDER, UNCHARTED HORIZONS MYANMAR, JOCHEN MEISSNER  said "Now since March, we were all pretty much locked up, caught in the lockdown in Yangon. All of us are craving already for nature, for fresh air, for some new adventure."

DOMESTIC TOURIST, KYAW ZIN LATT said “This is important for us because we were all in lockdown at home in the past two months. The pipeline walk is very exciting and relaxing for us to venture on after the long duration of the lockdown from the COVID-19. I am excited and happy as it is the first time that I'm doing this.”

The tours, comprising small groups of people, last about six hours, and one of the tourists call it a "unique" experience outside of the usual tourist hotspots.

MANAGER, ENERGY SERVICE, OLIVIER MOUBON said  "As most tourists, when they visit Yangon, they go to very well-known places like Shwedagon and Sule pagoda and People's Park. But this one, this pipeline is quite unique."

According to the Yangon City Development Committee, the water pipeline has survived disasters like a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in 2007 and the world war. The pipeline is 70 km long as it meanders through the residential areas, starting from Gyo Phyuu dam on the outskirts of Yangon to the centre of the city.