15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Two young monks balance on a single swing in Mandalay, Myanmar.

The curriculum is vigorous for all students at Phaung Daw Oo, a school in Mandalay, Myanmar. Monastic students, especially, live a separate life of sacrifice, devoting themselves to the dharma, and abstaining from many of the daily habits that young teenagers take for granted. In between classes, however, two novice monks make time for play, challenging an old swing to hold both of them at the same time.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2016
Date Uploaded: 11.2017
Photo Location: Mandalay, Myanmar
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Copyright: © Adam Trunell