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 Established in 1861, Mandalay
is located
about 660 north of Yangon and is the cultural
capital of Myanmar and is bordered to the west
by the Ayeyarwady River whereby about two-thirds
of all the monks in this country reside in this
area. Mandalay is also popular tourist area
boasting rich cultural heritage. This great city
was the last capital city of the powerful
Myanmar Kings and is located in Central Myanmar.
This city of markets
and monasteries is the economic epicenter Photo:
Kuthodaw Pagoda in the
heart of Upper Myanmar and with its excellent
air, road, rail and river connections, Mandalay
is definitely a good base from which to explore
the rest of Upper Myanmar. This city is situated
at the hub of river routes from China and India
and land routes from Thailand and beyond.
Mandalay, known by
its many names such as the Royal City, the
Golden City and the City of Gems, is Myanmar's
second largest city and it is usually quite hot
and dusty unlike Yangon with its wide tree lined
avenues. Mandalay has the
traditional Burmese feeling in it whereby more
than half of all monks in Myanmar reside in this
area. As the last seat of the Burmese monarchy,
it is a centre for fine arts, crafts and
cultural performances and visitors com here a
great cultural adventure. It is here in Mandalay that
visitors will see the true representative of
Burmese life, history, culture and it is also
the centre of Buddhist learning. Tourists will
find the Silk Weaving Cottage Industry here very
interesting.
 Mandalay Hill,
visible to the north from most parts of the city
commands a magnificent view of the city and its
surrounding countryside and it is one of the
most visited place of interest in Myanmar. This
tourist attraction stands 230 meters in
elevation. The palace, moat and
grounds dominate the central part of the city.
The palace city constructed by King Midon Min
was vast when originally built but was
tragically destroyed during the war but has
since been reconstructed. Now what you can see
left of the Photo: Mandalay Hill
great Mandalay
Palace are its palace walls, the four gates and
the moat although many palace buildings have
been rebuilt within the premises.
Tourists attractions
in Mandalay include the Shwenandaw Kyaung
Monastery, the
sole remaining building of the once extravagant
palace depicting the finest remaining example of
traditional wooden Burmese architecture whereby
this beautifully structure was originally found
inside the palace compound until King Thibaw had
it moved to its present site east of the palace, the ancient
Mahamuni Buddha Image from Rakhaing
State at Mahamuni Pagoda and Kuthodaw Pagoda, known
as the 'biggest book in the world' because
Buddhist scriptures (Tipitaka text) are carved on each of the
729 marble tablets.
Other places of
interest in Mandalay are the Atu Ma Shi
Monastery, built in 1878 by King Mindon, which
is also called the Incomparable Monastery and
the famous Kyauktawgyi Pagoda which is known as
the Pagoda of the Great Marble Image. The name
came about since this temple houses a large
image of the Buddha which was sculpted from a
single block of beautiful marble. Other
interesting places to go sightseeing are the
Sandamuni Pagoda, Eindawya Pagoda, Shwe In Bin
Monastery and the Mandalay Museum and Library.
Bustling markets
with local handicrafts from Upper Myanmar is
another feature of Mandalay especially its
carving of stone images of the Buddha and the
manufacture of gold leaf with the Zegyo Market
being the busiest. Mandalay is now the
busiest trade centre in Upper Myanmar with
border trades from China, Thailand and India
together with domestic trades from States and
Divisions passing through this religious city.
When you are in Mandalay, you must definitely
explore the four nearby ancient cities of Amarapura, Sagaing,
In-wa (Ava) and Mingun.
 Amarapura is located
on the southern part of Mandalay. This ancient
city was the capital of Konbaung Dynasty during
the reign of King Bodawpaya. Famous attractions
seen here include the Pahtodawgyi Pagoda, U Bien
Bridge across the Taungthaman Lake, Kyauktawgyi
Pagoda, Nagayon Pagoda, Mahagandayone Monastery
and the Cotton and Silk Weaving Cottage
Industry. Lying next to the great Ayeyarwaddy
River is the ancient city of Sagaing in which
the Sagaing Hills is full of pagodas and
temples. Interesting places of interest seen
here Pahtodawgyi Pagoda in Amarapura
include the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, Kaung
Hmudaw Pagoda and Ywahtaung which is the home of
the silversmith's guilds.
In-wa city,
sometimes called Ava, is known as the Kingdom of
In-wa during the Second Myanmar Empire. Visitors
who make their way can explore places such as
the Nanmtint Watch Tower, Maha Aungmye Bonzan
Monastery, Bagaya Monastery, Lacquerware
Industry and the In-wa Bridge which spans across
the Ayeyarwaddy River. Mingun is also another
popular city among the tourists since this place
has some of Myanmar's famous attractions such as
the 90 tonne Mingun Bell which is the largest
ringing bell in the world, the gigantic
unfinished Mingun Pagoda, Settawya Pagoda and
Hsinbyume Pagoda.
A good place to
relax located near Mandalay is at Pyin-Oo Lwin (Myamyo)
which is located over one thousand meters above
sea level. Visitors will appreciate the lovely
colonial-style house surrounded by pine trees,
eucalyptus and landscaped gardens besides
enjoying its pleasant cool weather. Places worth
visiting here include the National Kandawgyi
Gardens, Pwe Kauk and Ani-sakan Waterfalls,
Goteik Viaduct and Peik Chin Myaung Caves.
Another charming city nearby is Monywa which is
the commercial centre of Chindwin Valley. This
town has many attractions which include the
Than-bok-de Pagoda and its 500,000 Buddha
Images, Bodhi-ta-htaung (one thousand Bo trees),
Ledi Kyaungteik Monastery and Kyauka Village.
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