Mandalay University’s Botany Department conducts research activities at Crown Prince’s Toddy Land

The Department of Botany from the University of Mandalay has been conducting research activities at the Crown Prince’s Toddy Land which was planted by Prince Kanaung 160 years ago, to be included on the World Heritage List of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and 60 per cent of the research process have been completed.
“Prince Kanaung directed his daughters and sons to cultivate toddy palm plants at the designated places around this area. There was a total of 20,000 toddy palm plants before, but only 6,000 palm plants survive to date because many years have passed,” said Professor/Head Dr Kalya Luu from the Mandalay University’s Botany Department.
Then she continued, “Royal family planted these plants at assigned locations along with the stone tablets, so they were visible till nowadays. Locals have a superstition that “This is a auspicious Toddy Land (means “Blessed Toddy Land”), there will be no blessing if toddy plants were gone.” So, we can see a mass of toddy plants they preserved without selling them to people who made an offer. One even has around 1,000 toddy plants in his plot. According to the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritages, toddy-palm plants can be identified as the tangible ones, therefore we perform the studies to be included in the record of UNESCO.”
After toddy plam plant from the Crown Prince’s Toddy Land were analyzed and conducted the socioeconomic research, it is found that these plants are the ones from over 160 years (Yadanabon era), based on the facts: having no scar on the trunk due to the long lifespan of the plant, having double outer bark of the plants and having year rings (shows the age of a plant) resulted from the toddy-palm leaves.
Then she goes on, “Toddy-palm plants from Crown Prince’s Toddy Land have a double outer bark on them. Toddy-palm leaves left a mark called “Scar” when they fall. On the report of the double outer-bark on them, it can be predicted that they were cultivated in the Yadanabon era. The Community Base Conservation is very special because no one asked them to do it themselves.”
For access to the UNESCO conservation list, the Department of Botany, the Department of Anthropology, the Department of History and the Department of Archaelogy from the Mandalay University are cooperating with each other and, on the basis of research results, fruits from Crown Prince’s Toddy Land ranked sugar level 13. Due to having the best taste in Myanmar and other good laboratory findings, authorities have been planning to produce food products that would give socioeconomic support to locals. — Min Htet Aung (Mandalay Sub-Printing House)/GNLM