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Destination in Myanmar

Around Mandalay

Amarapura

Amarapura meaning "City of Immortality" is a city in the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, situated 11 km to the south of Mandalay. The locals sometimes refer to it as Taungmyo (Southern City) to distinguish it from Mandalay (Northern City). U Bein Bridge is just across the Taungthaman Lake. King Bodawpaya (1781-1819) of the Konbaung Dynasty founded Amarapura to be his new capital in 1783, soon after he ascended the throne. In 1795, he received the first British embassy to visit Burma. Bodawpaya’s son, King Bagyidaw (1819-1837), moved the Court back to Inwa in 1823. From 1841-1857, King Mindon Min (1853-1878) decided to make Amarapura the capital again, before relocating to his planned city of Mandalay in 1860. Today, little remains of the old city, as the palace buildings were dismantled and move by elephant to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways. The city is known today for silk and cotton weaving, and bronze casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip from Mandalay. Here are some of the popular places to visit in Amarapura.

- Pahtodawgyi – A paya built by King Bodawpaya in 1820 outside the city walls
- Bagaya Kyaung – wooden monastery founded by King Mindon
- U Bein’s Bridge – a 1.2 km wooden footbridge (longest teak bridge in the world)

Monywa

Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km north-west of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River. It is along the Mandalay-Budalin branch railway line but is best reached by bus as the road from Mandalay is in reasonably good shape. Monywa is a major trade center for agricultural produce from the surrounding Chindwin Valley, especially beans, orange pulses and jiggery (palm sugar). In addition, the local industry includes mills for the production of cotton, flour, noodles, and edible oils. Monywa's rough cotton blankets are famous throughout Myanmar. Other regional crafts include bamboo and reed products, bullock carts and agricultural implements.

Major attractions

- Thanboddhay Pagoda - The major tourist attraction in Monywa is the Thanboddhay Pagoda, it dates from 1303, although it was reconstructed in 1939. It is said to contain over 500,000 images of Buddha.

- Twin Taung (or) Twin Hill - It is a hill in Budalin Township about 3 kms east of the river. It is about 200 meters above the surrounding area. It has a deep lake on top of it. This lake is full of Spirulina, which becomes a medical product of Myanmar.

- Shwe Guni Pagoda - About 20km east to the town, there is a 33 meters high Buddha image dating from the 14th century.

- Kyaukka Village - This village is just beyond Shwe Guni Pagoda. It is the main center for the crafting of lacquerware since the Konbaung Era.

Po Win Taung

The cave is with over 400,000 ancient Buddha images and statues and murals dating from the 14th to the 16th century.

Mingun

Mingun is a town in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located about 11 km up the Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay.

The main attractions are

-Mingun Pahtodawgyi - It is the ruined Mingun Paya, a Buddhist temple with the remains of a massive stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790. If the constrution had been completed, it would have been the largest in the world at 150 meters. It was again damaged by 1838 earthquake.

-Mingun Bell - King Bodawpaya has a gigantic bell cast to go with his huge stupa. The Mingun Bell weighs 90 tons, or 55555 viss and is today the largest uncracked, ringing bell in the world. Mingun Bell is situated right next to the Mingun Pahtodawgyi. King Bodawpaya dedicated to construct a gigantic Pagoda, a gigantic bell and a gigantic lion during his reign. But he was not able to complete the pagoda.

-Mya Theindan Pagoda - It is also known as Hninbyume Pagoda because it was donated by the Hsinbyume Princess, who was one the Queen of King Bodawpaya. It is just next to the Pahtodawgyi.

Innwa

Innwa was also known as Ava in the ancient times. It is a city in the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. It is also called Ratnapura meaning "City of Gems". Innwa was the capital of Myanamr from 1364-1841. Prior to this, Sagaing had been the capital, but after Sagaing fell to the Shan, the court moved across the river to Innwa. The kings of Innwa set about restoring Burmese supremacy, which had disintegrated after the fall of Bagan. In 1555, Innwa fell to the southern Burmese Kingdom of Taungoo, but in 1636, the king of Taungoo relocated his own capital to Innwa. In 1752, the Mon revolted against Burmese rule and sacked Innwa. A couple of years later, the founder of the new Konbaung Dynasty, Alaungpaya, crushed the Mon revolt, and after a period with Shwebo as his capital, re-established the court in Innwa. After the British conquered Lower Myanmar, after the Second Anglo-Burmese War, Upper Myanmar was commonly called the Kingdom of Innwa. During the reign of King Bodawpaya (1781-1819), the capital was moved to nearby Amarapura. However, his successor, King Bagyidaw (1819-1837), moved the Court back to Innwa in 1823. When a tremendous earthquake caused extensive damage in 1841, Innwa was finally abandoned for Amarapura. Little remains of the ancient capital today.

Some popular places to visit :

- Maha Aungmye Bonzan – A Buddhist monastery built by the wife King Bodawpaya in 1818

- Nanmyin Watch Tower – a 27 meter masonry tower, all that is left of the Innwa Palace

- Innwa Bridge – a 16 span cantilever bridge built by the British in 1934, and the only structure to cross the Ayeyarwady River.

Sagaing

Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Division in Myanmar. It is located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. The Sagaing Hills are noted as a religious retreat and has over 400 cloisters for monks and nuns. About 10 km from Sagaing is the Kaunghmudaw, an enormous dome-shaped pagoda built by King Thalun in 1636, on the model of the Mahacetic Pagoda of Sri Lanka. The Sagaing (Ava) Bridge built in 1934 links Mandalay and Sagaing across the Ayeyarwaddy River. It was bombed by the British to stop the advancing Japanese Army during Second World War. At the nearby village of Ywataung, you can see silversmiths making silverware by traditional methods.

Popular places around

- Thabyedan Fort - This is the last ditch defence by the Myanmar, before the third invasion of the British. It lies just left to the Innwa Bridge.

- Kaungmudaw Pagoda - It is a huge whitewashed edifice is situated 10km from the town of Sagaing. The dome shaped pagoda rises up to 46 meters. At the base of the pagoda, there are 812 stone pillars, each one with a hollow and an image of a Nat in it.

- Sagaing Hill - The hill has a number of small pagodas, and now with many meditation centers. The Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda is located on the Sagaing Hill.

Kyaukmyaung

A riverside town on the Ayeyarwaddy 17 miles east of Shwe Bo is famous for its glazed pottery industry. The use of pots and other earthenware containers for cooking and tableware originated about 500 years ago. Pots were used for storage of foods such as fermented fish or Ngapi, fermented fish sauce or Nganpyaryay, cooking oil and water. Traditional eating utensils included lacquered round wooden or split bamboo trays called Byatwaing, circular tray on a stand used for serving meals, called Duanglan, earthen bowls or basins called Myayzalone and glazed earthen basins called Aindonsintthoke. Although today, steel, aluminum, brass and bronze pots are popular, most local still use earthenware pots for cooking. They believe cooking in earthenware makes tastier, more aromatic, tender and sweet. There is a traditional art specialty forms like cocks, peacocks and animals in circular or squares are made that you would marvel. Pots, bowls and jars of small, medium and huge sizes that are floated down the river, tied tightly together with canes like large rafts. Sometimes are towed by tugboats and distributed all over the country.

Mogok

Mogok is a city in the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, located 200 km north of Mandalay and 148 km north-east of Shwebo. It is also known as the "Land of Gems". At 1170 meters in elevation, the city has fairly temperate climate year-round, and is home to mostly Bamar, with large minorities of Shan, Lisu, Palaung, Karen ethnic groups, as well as Chinese, Indians and Nepali. Mogok has been famous since ancient times for its gemstones, especially ruby and sapphire, but semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, garnet, moonstone, peridot and chrysoberyl are also found. The gems are found in alluvial limestone gravels by means on panning, tunneling and digging pits by hand. There is little mechanization of the mining.

- Gems Markets (Htar Pwe) - Rubies and sapphires are Mogok's life blood. Peik Swae Gem Market is located at the eastern end of Mandalay-Moe Meik Road. The Min Thada Gem Market is on the westernmost edge of town.

Mongshu

After Mogok, has become famous as the new ruby-land of Myanmar. Mongshu stone tract at Lihsaunghtauk hills has attracted a large number of national and foreign gem lovers. Te main market is in Taunggyi and Tachilek. Even the famous Mogok is surprised to hear the news of its rival. Some jewelers like to call the Mongshu ruby as 'red diamond'. For Myanmar ruby is the king but other gems must stand beside like queens, knights, bishops and castles. Mongshu stands a day and a half ride away by car to the northeast of Taunggyi.

Pyin Oo Lwin

Pyin Oo Lwin was formerly known as May Myo. It is a resort town in Mandalay Division in Myanmar, located some 67 kilometers east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters (3510 feet). It was initially a Shan village situated between Naungcho and Mandalay on the Lashio-Mandalay road. During the British colonial occupation, the British, in 1896, developed it as a hill station because of its cool alpine climate, especially during the hot season. The colonial government of Myanmar would move to May Myo during the hot season to escape from the high heat and humidity of Yangon. The name May Myo means May Town in Burmese, and comes from the town's first administrator, Colonel May. As a legacy of the colonial period, the town has approximately 10,000 Indian and 5,000 Nepali inhabitants, who served in the British Indian Army and settled in May Myo after the British left, and granting independence to Burma. May Myo was also an important educational centre during colonial times, with the Government English High Schools, such as St. Mary's, St. Michael's, St. Albert's, and Colgate, all based in the town. It is also home to the Myanmar Defence Services Academy (DSA).

Major Attractions

- Kandawgyi National Garden - It was known as May Myo Botanical Garden. It consists of a variety of plants, trees, flowers and animals. It is a 49 acres natural forest. It opens daily from 7am to 5.30pm.

- Pwe Kauk Water Fall - It is 8km from the town, off the Lashio road. It is a pleasan picnic spot.

- Peik Chin Myaung - This is a large Buddhist shrine cave about 27km from the town. About 600 meter path leads through the cave. Inside the cave are several Buddha images donated by locals.

Shwebo

Shwebo is a city in the Sagaing Division of Myanmar, located 113 km north-west of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River. The area around Shwebo was the site of the anient Pyu city-state of Hanlin. Shwebo was royal capital of Myanmar under King Alaungpaya (who was a Shwebo native) from 1760-1764. He used the city as a base from which to conquer Innwa and Lower Myanmar, establishing the Third Myanmar Empire. His successor, King Hsinbyushin, moved the capital to Amarapura in the 1780s, and the city has been in decline ever since. As with Monywa, the city is a trade center for agricultural produce, especially beans, rice and sesame from the surrounding plains between the Mu and the Ayeyarwady River. Major Attractions ? The major tourist attractions in Shwebo are its numerous Buddhist temples, and the ruins of Alaungpaya's palace. The city is still surrounded by its ancient moat.

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