Secretariat

Top choice in Yangon


After many years of being off limits, this spectacular red-brick complex, which takes up a 16-acre block and was once the British seat of government for Burma, is open for guided tours. General Aung San and six of his colleagues were assassinated here in 1947, and the complex is home to independent Burma's first National Assembly: these two historical aspects are the focus of the 45-minute tour, though the star of the show is the 400,000-sq-ft building itself.

Built in stages between 1889 and 1905, the Secretariat continued to be used by Burma's government and later the military junta when it was known as the Ministers' Building. After the capital moved to Nay Pyi Taw in 2005, the complex was mostly abandoned and its roof suffered damage during Cyclone Nargis.

A reprieve came in 2011 when the Ministry of Construction selected it as one of five key Yangon heritage buildings to undergo basic renovations. A private group was awarded the lease; their plans for the complex, which will take years to be fully operational, include a cultural centre and historical museum. In 2019, there was controversy when it was announced that among the new tenants of the restored former stable block on the Anawrahta Rd side of the complex would be outlets for KFC and doughnut vendor Krispy Kreme.

The Secretariat is freely open to the public on Martyrs' Day and occasionally for special events and exhibitions. Sign up for the tours via the entrance at the corner of Thein Byu Rd and Mahabandoola Rd.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yangon attractions

1. Myanmar Deitta

0.14 MILES

From the Pali word for 'in front of one's eyes', Deitta is a nonprofit working with local and international documentary photographers, filmmakers and…

2. St Mary’s Cathedral

0.22 MILES

Myanmar's largest Catholic cathedral is an impressive red-brick building dating from 1909. The neo-Gothic design is mainly down to Dutch architect Jos…

4. 491-501 Merchant St

0.3 MILES

Around 250 workers were trained in new skills for the sensitive restoration in 2016 of this two-storey colonial-era building, home to 80 residents from 12…

5. Ayeyarwady Bank

0.37 MILES

This 1910 heritage building was once Rowe & Co department store, dubbed the 'Harrods of the East'. After independence it was used to house the Ministry of…

6. Sofaer's Building

0.38 MILES

In desperate need of love and attention, this crumbling Italianate building, constructed by the Jewish-Baghdadi trader Isaac A Sofaer, still has original…

7. Immanuel Baptist Church

0.38 MILES

One of Yangon's oldest Baptist churches, this one was originally built in 1830 though the present structure dates from 1885.

8. Sri Varada Raja Perumal Temple

0.38 MILES

Dedicated to Vishnu, this lavishly decorated Hindu temple dates from 1928 and was built by the Indian businessman Dr S Ramanatha Reddiar. It has the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "myanmar-burma/yangon-rangoon/attractions/secretariat/a/poi-sig/1452165/357104",
      "destination": "Yangon",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Myanmar-(Burma)",
      "city": "Yangon",
      "position": "superzone"
    }