Cultural Conservation: U.S Announced Additional Fund For Shwe Nandaw Kyaung

The U.S. Embassy announced 300,000 dollars continued support for the ongoing conservation efforts at the Shwe Nandaw Kyaung Monastery in Mandalay. 

This additional fund brings the total U.S. investment in the conservation of this important cultural site to 1.1 million dollars, and it will go through the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

In addition to preserving this historic site for future generations, the U.S. Embassy is providing training for local craftsmen, students and tour guides through this project.

The local craftsmen have been working with World Monuments Fund (WMF) to conserve Shwe Nandaw Kyaung since 2014. 

WMF began with comprehensive research and an assessment of the building, followed by emergency repairs to stop the deterioration of the teak building.  Until now, U.S. funding has supported water management upgrades, repair of the monument’s staircases, supplanting pyinkado wood for teak as the building was originally constructed, and restoring and replacing decorative elements. 

Additional U.S. funding will support continued conservation efforts, capacity building, and training for individuals in the Mandalay region. 

Shwe Nandaw Kyaung is one of the most visited monasteries in the country.  It formerly served as the northern chamber of Mandalay’s Glass Palace, and it is the only apartment of the former 19th century Kon Baung Palace to survive World War II.  The original chamber was built by King Mindon, who died inside, and later moved to its current location and refurbished as a monastery by King Mindon’s son, King Thibaw.  Shwe Nandaw Kyaung is included in a list of seven monasteries protected by the Archaeological Survey of Burma, established by the British authorities,  since 1919 on the grounds of the monastery’s historical and architectural significance.