Authentic restoration of Inwa elephant stockade’s wooden bridge underway

A wooden bridge to the ancient Inwa elephant stockade fort is under authentic restoration, according to Archaeologist Bo Shake (Yadanapura).
As the many-year-old bridge has decayed and deteriorated, the Department of Archaeology and National Museum is carrying out the preservation activities in original designs.
“The elephant stockade fort is located on the west side of Inwa, beside Ayeyawady River. There is a wooden bridge at the entrance of the fence. As it is ancient, it has decayed over the years, causing inconvenience when crossing. It will be preserved without affecting ancient authenticity. Handrails are replaced with teak ones. The floors were made better. As the fort was built in the Yadanabon era, we maintain its ancient lathe-fashioned style,” he said.
The Inwa stockade fort is a busy place, and once the bridge restoration is completed, it will be strong enough to allow convenient crossing of the visitors, he said. “The fort is a busy place in Inwa, and it can also be called Inwa’s viewpoint. It is on the bank of the Ayeyawady River, so there are many people who come to relax and watch it. They can see the great Ayeyawady from the fort, and it is one of the most attractive places in Inwa,” Bo Shake explained.
During the reign of King Mindon in the 1236 Myanmar Era (1874 AD), an elephant stockade was built near Inwa, south of the Ayeyawady River. It is a must to visit when a person arrives in ancient Inwa. Since the stockade is located on the bank of the Ayeyawady River, a visitor can enjoy refreshment by breathing a cool breeze blowing over the river while gazing in a relaxed state at the boats and ships sailing in the river. — MT/ZN