Residents of downtown Yangon might have noticed a change in the neighborhood over the past few months.
A dilapidated colonial-era building on Merchant Road has been restored to its former glory, with extensive interior renovations and a fresh lick of bright yellow paint.
Yangon has the densest collection of colonial buildings of any in Southeast Asia, but hundreds have been knocked down in recent years and more are at risk.
Groups like nonprofit Turquoise Mountain are trying to redress that by encouraging renovation, rather than destruction, of old buildings.
This beautiful video tells the story of the restoration of the Merchant Road residential building.
All the former residents remain in place.
“Without their help, I would constantly be worrying about the next thing to go wrong with the house,” one says. “Now, I don’t have to stress.”
