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“In a figurative sense, civilization marches up and down the valley-section: all the great historic cultures, with the partial exception of those secluded maritime cultures in which the seas sometimes served instead of a river [like the Malay archipelago], have thriven through the movement of men and institutions and inventions and goods along the natural highway of a great river.” (Lewis Mumford)
Forty years ago I visited Myanmar (Burma). At the time foreign visits were restricted to only seven days and subjected to draconic currency regulations. All this did not prevent me from enjoying Burma’s mesmerizing landscapes and the rare hospitality of its people. In particular the visit to Pagan was unforgettable owing to the serene beauty of the scenery with its countless stupas and temples but also because of a human tragedy. While cycling from temple to temple I met a lively, little boy who offered to illuminate with a pocket torch the dark interiors of the temples. Thus I cycled around the rest of the day with my little guide on the backseat of my bike. At nighthe owner of the hostel where I was staying told me that the boy’s father had drowned a few weeks earlier while fishing on the mighty Irrawaddy River. In other words the eight years old boy had given up school and was now gaining some extra income for the household by showing around tourists. After I had paid a visit to the widow that same evening, I met the next day with the boy’s schoolteacher to find out how I could be of some financial help to send the little guide to school again. Afterwards I walked over to the bank of the Irrawaddy and .....（詳見全文）（文字檔：由鄭維中老師提供）
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▲包樂史教授（Prof. Leonard Blussé） |
