Myanmar (Burma) — The Nat Tree Shrines in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Why are there shrines on the trees in Burma?

March 2015

One thing I enjoyed seeing around Yangon were the Nat tree shrines. Some shrines appeared old and had fallen into disuse; others were new. I liked how the trees ‘consumed’ the old shrines.

The Nats are spirits displaced from the land due to building work or converting the land to farming. The shrine was a way of placating the spirit and giving them somewhere to live. To keep the spirits happy, food and drink offerings are regularly made.

The Nats are not part of Buddhism, and when Buddhism arrived in Myanmar (Burma) some 1,000 years ago, there was a move to ban Nats, and the tree shrines were broken up. But, this didn’t take, and now Nat worship and Buddhism co-exist.

I liked the shrines as I thought they brought some character and novelty to the trees.