Mandalay

Lying in the centre of Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay is prominent not only for its well-accessed business hub but also for its role as a capital city during Myanmar King’s era. Linking to its past, it has a lot of interesting places to dig out Myanmar’s history and culture by paying visits to some places like Mandalay Palace, Amarapura, Inwa , Kuthodawdaw Pagoda, Mingun and some well-known pagodas like ying in the centre of Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay is prominent not only for its well-accessed business hub Maha Myat Muni, Sandamuni Pagoda, Shweinbin Monastery.

Each and every cultural or recreational venue in Mandalay and its surrounding has its own reflection on the capital’s great history. Soon after entering into the city, you would be mesmerized by a scenery of red brick city wall in the far distance backing with greenery Mandalay Hill on which decorated with some golden pagodas here and there, at the far end of the road alongside packed with modern houses and brick buildings.

Once you are getting nearer, the giant and attractive ancient city wall in red brick would draw you back to Myanmar’s kingdom golden era. While loitering around in the palace which was established in 1857 by King Minton, a prominent emperor and the father of Myanmar’s last king, King Thibaw, you can still sense how prosperous it was mandalay01by filling the surrounding with King dressed in jeweled long-sleeve shirt and longyi sitting on the enormous throne, some soldier clad in maroon-coloured uniforms and some ladies wearing long -sleeve blouse and long longyis walking here and there in your mind’s eye.

It is said that the craftsmanship on the ancient buildings to be found in Mandalay and its nearby can be compared to those in Bagan. Spending the day time exploring the ancient beauty of the royal palace which was unfortunately burnt down and destroyed during World War II and a few replica was reconstructed, you should also squeeze out time to have a bird eye’s view of the city which has a form of rectangular shapes and it’s streets and roads across one another at right angle from the top of Mandalay Hill.

On the way down from the hill, it is a beneficial for you to visit the World’s Largest Book or Kuthodaw Pagoda locate at the base of the southeast stairways to Mandalay Hill. It was built by King Mindon while constructing the palace. The pagoda is bounded by a total of 792 standing stone slabs on which the entire Buddhist Scriptures are indited. To savour a different experience on modern Mandalay city, a central point of the city or Zay Cho market is a place to explore. The tall Clock Tower stands next to the market was dated in 1903 in honour of marking the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Awaiting sunset strolling on the U Bein Bridge which strength out about three quarter of a mile extending on the Taung-tha-man Inn (Lake) will be indeed a pleasure for those who love nature. Enjoying yellowish sun sets at the edge of a pagoda nearby while sensing the cool breeze passed through the lake sitting on the two-century-old longest teak bridge in the world, you can imagine how peaceful and beautiful it is. The title of the bridge, U Bein was known after the name of a generous man, U Bein as he constructed it with old planks and timberposts from wreckageof houses in Sagaing and Ava (Inwa) and it has been served as a major transportation tool for villagers.

Situated in an ancient city of Amarapura which was established by the ancestors of King Mindon, it can be reached by cars within half an hour from Mandalay. Still, you can probe the endings of powerful Myanmar’s royals by visitingggg tombs of three Myanmar kings- King Bodawpaya, King Bagyidaw, King Tharrawaddy in Amarapura, the former capital before Mandalay, the trace on ruined palace can be found nearby.

Thence, Amarapura is renown for its silk weaving industry since Myanmar rich people proudly wears Amarapura silk garments for their special occasion and the entire city is full with families who operate silk production. People in this area still attain their ancient tradition, so that visitor can learn the incredible art of weaving silk in traditional methods.

Travelling to the Sagaing which lies 21km south-west of Mandalay on the west bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River would give you a different taste on Myanmar cultural and historical attraction combined with stunning beauty of natural mountain which atop with pagoda on each hilltop. You can still learn ancient artistic skill by sighting mural paintings in the Tilawkaguru cave temple, which was built around 1672.

Likewise in Amarapura, native people attained their traditional business of silversmiths producing in ancient way and the process on producing of silverwares like silver bowls and other items can be learn at a village nearby called Ywahtaung. It cannot say your trip is complete without visiting an important site in Mandalay area, Mingun where you can trace down the historical background of the establisher, King Bodaw.

The prosperity and civilization of the past reflects on the arts and crafts of Mingun, a cluster of Buddhist shrines, monasteries, monuments including the World’s largest ringing bell, Mingun Bell. It can be reached by means of ferry boats from Mandalay from Gawwein Jetty where the last King of Myanmar King Thibaw and his family were exiled to India by ship. Normally, it takes about an hour for up-river and 45 minutes for down-river to reach Mingun which is about 7 miles north of Mandalay.