If it weren't for Bago's abundance of religious sites and the remains of its palace, it would be hard to tell that this scrappy town – 50 miles northeast of Yangon on the old highway to Mandalay – was once the capital of southern Myanmar. The much-delayed opening of the new Hanthawaddy International Airport in 2022, which will take over from Yangon as Myanmar's main air hub, is set to revive Bago's fortunes.