Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Mandalay
Mandalay is a historic ancient capital of Myanmar, which is also listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Where to go in Mandalay? There are many famous tourist attractions that you can visit in Mandalay. Go to the Mandalay Hill or U-Bein bridge to watch the sunset, enjoy the devout of the monks in temple of Sagaing Ancient City, these all make you relax. Mandalay is a place where people can be quiet and discard different thoughts. If you want to escape the city and find a place to calm down, Mandalay is definitely a place that you can't miss.
Attraction in Mandalay – U-Bein bridge
Located in the ancient city of Amarapura, U-Bein bridge was built in 1856 and has a total length of 1,200 meters. It is also one of the longest wooden bridges in the world. The whole bridge is made of the most famous teakwood in Myanmar. It has been used for many years until today. It spans the Taungthaman Lake. The bridge was built because Taungthaman Lake is a seasonal lake. During the rainy season, the lake water will flood the surrounding area. To solve the traffic difficulties, the bridge was built. The Burmese also regard the U-Bein bridge as a "lover bridge". They think that if lovers pray at the bridge, their love will last longer. In the evening, you can also take a boat and see the sunset sprinkling on the river and the bridge. It is must-visit place in Mandalay.
Attraction in Mandalay – Kuthodaw Pagoda
In addition to famous U-Bein bridge, there is also famous pagoda called Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay. The pagoda is between Mandalay Hill and Mandalay Royal Palace. It is also a white pagoda group. The pagoda was built in 1857. It is Buddhist pagoda. Its full name is called Mahalawka Marazein. It is also called "the largest pagoda in the world" by the Burmese. The reason why Kuthodaw Pagoda is very famous is that when the construction was completed, King Mindon summoned 2,400 sorghums from all parts of the Indo-China Peninsula and completed the revision conference of the fifth Buddhist scriptures. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tripitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. These books are known as "the world's largest book" because of their comprehensive content and grand scale. It is said that if a person reads 8 hours a day, it takes a year and a half to read these scripts. If you want to feel the Buddhist atmosphere of Myanmar, you can visit this famous pagoda.
Attraction in Mandalay – Sagaing Hill
Sagaing Hill is surrounded by forests. Pagodas are scattered in Sagaing Hill. It is quiet around Sagaing Hill. Many monks come here to chant scriptures. So it has become an important Buddhist shrine in Myanmar. The mountain roads of Sagaing Mountain are very steep. You can see all kinds of pagodas of all sizes on all the way to the mountain. It is said that there are more than 500 temples and as many as 6,000 monks chanting scriptures on the mountain. You can meet the monks at rest or chanting at any time on your way to the mountain. At the halfway up the mountain, there is a semi-circular temple with more than 30 identical Buddhhist statues in the arc, and the outer walls are engraved with scriptures.
Attraction in Mandalay – Mingun Pahtodawgyi
Mingun Pahtodawgyi is an unfinished palace built by King Bodawpaya of Myanmar for his queen. It is one of the largest brick buildings in the world. Due to the massive construction project, after 11 years of the king's death, the entire building was only completed 1/3. In 1838, the tower was damaged in an earthquake. Unfortunately, the tower was shaken with a crack. Despite being an unfinished building, it is still the largest ancient pagoda in Myanmar. The tower has a rectangular shape. Except for the white door, the entire building is heavily brownish yellow. If built according to the plan, the tower body will reach 160 meters high, which is 48 meters higher than the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
Attraction in Mandalay – Mandalay Palace
The Mandalay Royal Palace is the palace of the last dynasty in Myanmar. The original building was completely destroyed during World War II. What is now seen is that the Myanmar government rebuilt it in 1989 based on historical data. The entire palace is square and wooden structure. There are 104 temples in the palace. The buildings are mainly red and gold. The palace was built from teakwood, which is an unique tree species in Myanmar. It has the characteristics of being non-cracking and corrosion-resistant. The Burmese feudal dynasty also used teak as royal wood. The palace and imperial city were built with this wood. The museum in the palace displays the story of the Burmese dynasty, displaying many items, furniture and clothing used by the king. Inside the palace, there is a 33-meter-high watchtower. Climb to the top of watchtower, you can overlook the Royal Palace and Mandalay Street. It is a tourist attraction in Mandalay that you can’t miss.
