The city of Naypyidaw is shrouded in secrecy . It first became the capital of Myanmar a decade ago , after the government decided to move the capital from Yangon ( also known as Rangoon ) with minimal explanation . Since then , although developed to be the size of 120 Manhattans and to have space for up to one million residents , it remains a relative ghost town . Scroll down for video . Myanmar 's newly-built capital city , Naypyidaw , is shrouded in secrecy , after the government decided to move the capital from Yangon . Built mainly for government staff , locals only come to live in the city , which looks more like no man 's land than a booming metropolis , if they need to for work . The super-sized highways have up to 20 lanes and are built to be big enough for government SUVs , though some report that the massive roads were also constructed as runways to accommodate the landings of military . Official records state the population is just over 924,000 , though any photographs taken would beg to differ . The streets are barren , with just a handful of individuals spotted walking or cycling through the secluded capital at any given point during the day . The city was developed mostly for government staff , including residential zones to house employees in four-storey apartment blocks . Despite a reported population of 924,000 , the city 's streets are barren and it 's rare to see more than a couple of people at any given time . The building of Naypyidaw began in 2002 , with it location chosen in the middle of a jungle that had n't been lived in for more than 2,000 years . Although some government workers moved to the new capital at the beginning of 2005 , many employees were separated from their families due to a lack of schools and other amenities . Split into various zones , the city keeps the government ministries far from the military area and there is also a designated commercial zone and hotel zone , despite a lack of tourism in the region . Burmese workers walk past the massive Parliament building surrounded by high gates and empty 10 lane roads . A street sweeper cleans this empty super-sized highway in the seemingly secluded capital city by hand with a broom . The residential areas are carefully organised into 1,200 four-storey apartment blocks . The roofs of the buildings are colour-coded by the jobs of their inhabitants . Despite the government-issued housing , many of the residents still live in slums . When it comes to recreational activities , there 's the beautiful Uppatansanti Pagoda , which is similar in size and shape to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon , as well as several parks and gardens , including a water fountain complex that hosts a musical light show each night . Foreigners and investors are n't keen to visit the secluded city and foreign aid workers prefer to commute daily from Yangon . But there are not many people around to enjoy the sights . Reportedly , foreigners and investors are n't keen to visit , especially amid travel agent reports that the area may be 'dangerous , ' and foreign aid workers who have visited the city in an official capacity are apparently so spooked by the eerie emptiness that they prefer to commute in daily from Yangon . Despite the fact that the government set aside almost 5 acres of land each for foreign embassies and headquarters of UN missions , only the Bangladeshi embassy has moved to Naypyidaw so far .
The Burmese capital was moved from Yangon ( Rangoon ) to Naypyidaw , inexplicably , daily . Despite multi-million dollar efforts to build up the city , foreigners are not keen to visit and locals refuse to relocate . The official numbers reveal a population of 924,000 , but rarely have people been photographed walking outside .