Bagan strives for UNESCO status

YANGON, Myanmar - The government is pushing to have an ancient city in the central part of the country included as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Bagan is famous for its thousands of religious edifices and pagodas, many of which were destroyed in a 6.8-magnitude earthquake last year. A restoration project is under way.

The Bagan Archaeological Zone, which is a main attraction in the country's growing tourism industry, was enlarged from 110 square kilometers to 160 sq km, according to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.