Plot Synopsis

WONDERS OF BURMA is a two-part documentary that reveals the myths and monuments that united kings and peasants -- and that created the Burmese culture that still exists today. Before Burma was a country, it was a patchwork of kingdoms and dynasties, until one of the greatest religious reformations in Asian history transformed the area into a Buddhist wonderland. This series shows how this devotion to the Buddha is represented in the remarkable golden architecture that dots the cities and countryside with magnificent temples, stupas, pagodas, and statues. The first episode, "Shrines of Gold," travels across Myanmar, the jewel of Asia, and reveals the history and myths surrounding these shrines, each one created as an offering to the Buddha. The program visits such treasures as the golden pagoda of Mt. Kyaiktiyo, which rests perilously atop a huge boulder, the 344-foot Shwedagon Pagoda, and the revered Mahamuni Buddha Temple. Then, the second episode, "Myths and Magic," explores the spiritual revolution of Anawrahta, a great king, and Shin Arahan, a Buddhist monk, together incited one of the greatest religious reformations in Asian history -- and how it triggered a wave of temple-building in honor of the Buddha. On Monday, September 5, 2016 from 8-10pm ET, Smithsonian Channel premiered both episodes back to back.