National symbols of Myanmar

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Myanmar’s national symbols are cultural icons that many people identify with. They come mainly from the Bamar majority, though other groups have their own symbols too. There is no official law listing them, but they are widely treated as representative of the Burmese people.

Many symbols were developed during the Konbaung dynasty, which ruled from 1761 to 1885.

The calendar assigns a flower to each month, and two flowers are national symbols.

The dancing peacock, ka-daung, was the symbol of the Burmese king. During Konbaung times, the dancing peacock on a red sun appeared on the state seal and the national flag, and it was stamped on the highest-value coins. Because of its royal link, nationalist movements later used it. It also appeared on the flags of British Burma and the State of Burma. After independence, it appeared on Burmese banknotes from 1948 to 1966.

An alternative pose, the fighting peacock, khut-daung, symbolized struggle and was created for the student movement in the 1920s. The National League for Democracy party flag also features it.

After 1988, the lion began to appear on most Burmese banknotes and coins (by 1999).

A popular saying goes: “of all the fruits, the mango’s the best; of all the meats, the pork’s the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet (tea leaf salad) is the best.”