Naypyidaw is Myanmar's purpose-built capital city, constructed from 2002 and declared the new capital in 2006. The city is notable for its vast scale — wide 20-lane highways, enormous government buildings, and sprawling hotel zones often feel eerily empty. The Naypyidaw Zoological Gardens, Uppatasanti Pagoda (a replica of the Shwedagon), and the National Museum are among the main sights in a city that offers a fascinating glimpse into the ambitions and peculiarities of Myanmar's military government.