Photo taken by @stevemccurryofficial // The sun’s rays reflecting from the dust look like swirls of clouds in front of a Buddhist shrine in Yangon. “Burma is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, with decaying infrastructure and an economy that is just now starting to pick up after decades of stagnation. Yet, it boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the region. The reverence for reading is evident when you visit. In Yangon, bookstores or book-lending shops are prominent on seemingly every street. Street vendors bide their time between customers reading news magazines. Book clubs are popular. Libraries such as the American Center and British Council Library have robust book club programs; a young professional and former medical student I spoke with during my last trip there said he and his friends have been involved in book clubs since their university days.” -Wendy Rockett, The Asia Foundation The third annual Irrawaddy Literary Festival, which drew an audience of more than 25,000, took place in March. #Yangon #Burma #WendyRockett #TheAsiaFoundation #Literacy by natgeo http://ift.tt/1KgeJNW – Gatlinburg Garden Castle Rainbow Tower Library Imagination Station Temple Water Spirit Guardian Labyrinth Treasury Magic Healing