Myanmar to build gem museum in new capital
Monday, 20 August 2007
YANGON, Aug 19 (Xinhua): Myanmar has projected to build a gem museum in the new administrative capital of Nay Pyi Taw in 2008 to develop tourism through displaying of the country's world famous gems, jade, pearl and jewelry, the local Voice journal reported today.
The new gem museum, which will be the second of its kind next to Yangon's, will be built at a 29-acre (11.7-hectare) plot, east of Nay Pyi Taw Hotel Zone, sources with the Ministry of Mines was quoted as saying.
There is a gem mart attached with the Yangon Gem Museum where Myanmar holds its gem sale all year round on different occasions.
Myanmar started to hold gem shows annually in 1964, introducing the mid-year one in 1992 and the special one in 2004.
The latest event was a special gem, jade and pearl sale in last month with a variety of the quality items displayed for sale on the basis of competitive bidding and tender systems.
According to the emporium sources, a total of 4,665 jade, gem and pearl lots were sold with more than 4,000 gem merchants including 2,437 from abroad having visited the 12-day event, registering a record high earning ever since which was not disclosed.
The gem traders mostly came from China, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Thailand.
In the 44th annual Myanmar gems emporium held in March this year, which lasted for 13 days, 3,652 lots of jade, gems and pearl were sold out of nearly 6,000 such lots displayed, gaining a high proceeds of 148 million euros (185 million US dollars).
The new gem museum, which will be the second of its kind next to Yangon's, will be built at a 29-acre (11.7-hectare) plot, east of Nay Pyi Taw Hotel Zone, sources with the Ministry of Mines was quoted as saying.
There is a gem mart attached with the Yangon Gem Museum where Myanmar holds its gem sale all year round on different occasions.
Myanmar started to hold gem shows annually in 1964, introducing the mid-year one in 1992 and the special one in 2004.
The latest event was a special gem, jade and pearl sale in last month with a variety of the quality items displayed for sale on the basis of competitive bidding and tender systems.
According to the emporium sources, a total of 4,665 jade, gem and pearl lots were sold with more than 4,000 gem merchants including 2,437 from abroad having visited the 12-day event, registering a record high earning ever since which was not disclosed.
The gem traders mostly came from China, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Thailand.
In the 44th annual Myanmar gems emporium held in March this year, which lasted for 13 days, 3,652 lots of jade, gems and pearl were sold out of nearly 6,000 such lots displayed, gaining a high proceeds of 148 million euros (185 million US dollars).