Bogyoke Aung San Park
| Bogyoke Aung San Park | |
|---|---|
| Bogyoke Park | |
| ဗိုလ်ချုပ်အောင်ဆန်းပန်းခြံ | |
Bogyoke Aung San Park in 1895 | |
| Type | Public urban park |
| Location | Natmauk Street, Bahan Township, Yangon, Yangon Region, Myanmar |
| Coordinates | 16°47′46″N 96°08′31″E / 16.7960192°N 96.1418437°E |
| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Opened | c. 1850s |
| Managed by | Yangon City Development Committee |
| Open | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily |
| Status | Open to public |
Bogyoke Aung San Park (Burmese: ဗိုလ်ချုပ်အောင်ဆန်းပန်းခြံ), commonly known as Bogyoke Park, is a prominent public park located in Yangon, Myanmar. Situated on the north shore of the Kandawgyi Lake and near the iconic Shwedagon and Maha Wizaya Pagodas, it serves as a recreational space in the city. The park is named in honor of Bogyoke Aung San, the national hero and father of modern-day Myanmar. The park is immediately west of the Yangon Zoological Gardens.
History
The park was formerly known as Dalhousie Park Memorial Garden during the British colonial era, named for the Marquis of Dalhousie.[1][2] Plans for a park were conceived by the Marquis in 1854, and construction began a few years later.[3][2] The park housed a statue of King Edward VII.[2]
In the 1930s, the park was renamed Aung Zeya Park, after Alaungpaya, founder of the last Burmese Konbaung dynasty.[2] After the Japanese invasion of Rangoon in 1942, the statue of King Edward was removed and replaced with a "victory land" monument containing soil from Shwebo, the hometown of Alaungpaya.[2]
After Burma gained independence, the park was renamed to its present-day name, signifying the nation's shift from colonial influence and its reverence for General Aung San, who played a pivotal role in the country's struggle for freedom.
A significant feature of the park is a bronze statue of General Aung San, unveiled on 13 February 1955, on what would have been his 40th birthday.[4] The 8.33-foot (2.54 m) statue, depicting him in a thoughtful pose, was crafted by an English sculptor, Bainbridge Copnell, in collaboration with Myanmar artist U San Pe.[4][2] The inscriptions on its pedestal were suggested by notable figures such as poets Zawgyi and Min Thu Wun, former Prime Minister U Nu, the third Secretary-General of the United Nations U Thant, and Colonel Ba Shin.[4] At the opening ceremony, U Nu read the Gettysburg Address.[2]
The park was upgraded in July 2020, in commemoration of the 73rd Anniversary of Martyrs' Day.[4]
References
- ^ Seekins, Donald M. (2014-06-17). State and Society in Modern Rangoon. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-317-60154-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Dalhousie Park Memorial Garden". Yangon Time Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "The Royal Lake". Yangon Time Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ a b c d "Bogyoke Aung San Park in Kandawgyi reopens after upgraded". MDN - Myanmar DigitalNews. 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2025-05-30.