Mandalay is the second city in Myanmar and for many travelers a place where you do not linger too long. Not entirely right, because there is so much beauty to see. Beautiful palaces and impressive shrines for example. Mandalay is a fascinating city where you do not get bored Mandalay was founded in 1859 by King Mindon, who built his palaces here and named the city as the capital of Burma. A fairytale that did not last long, because soon the city was taken over by the English. Fire and wars put an end to the beautiful wooden palaces, but luckily a lot has been rebuilt Things to see: Kuthodaw Pagoda At the foot of Mandalay Hill is the Kuthodaw Pagoda, a beautiful building from the eighteenth century. The complex consists of 729 stupas, each housing a page from the largest book in the world. The double pages are made of a thick slab of marble and measure 107 centimeters in width, 153 centimeters in length and 13 centimeters in thickness. The book includes the Pali canon, an early Buddhist collection of Buddha’s speeches. Atumashi Monastry South of the Kuthodaw Pagoda is the Atumashi Monastry, an impressive monastery that was […]
As one of the least visited countries in Southeast Asia, any trip to Myanmar is sure to sure to feel a bit off-the-beaten track. You’ll find ancient temples and monasteries, beautiful handicrafts to take home as souvenirs, and in many ways, a culture and way of life that’s remains relatively unchained for centuries. But in addition to these iconic religious and cultural sites, there are tons of unique things to do in Myanmar to ensure that you have an authentic, intimate, and culturally-rich adventure. For first time visits, most travelers will make their way through Myanmar’s most popular tourist destinations: Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle Lake. Thankfully, none of these cities and towns have yet been overtaken by the tourism industry, so you’ll be sure to have authentic cultural experiences alongside locals anywhere you go. However, if you’re looking for things to do in each destination that are a bit unexpected, consider adding these activities to your Myanmar itinerary. For my complete Myanmar Guide, download my latest e-book! Yangon: Ride The Circular Train A far cry from a luxurious mode of tourist transit, the Circular Train (or Circular Railway) is as gritty as it gets, and was one of […]
Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar and is considered the center of Burmese culture. You’ll find many unique pagodas here and can enjoy views from U-Bein Bridge and Mandalay Hill. Set aside 2 or 3 days to experience everything this city has to offer. Things to Do Mandalay Hill This 790 feet high hill gives you incredible views of Mandalay. The entrance fee to Mandalay Hill is 1000 kyat. We left our hotel around 9am and had a tuk tuk take us here. You have your choice to walk up the hill or pay 500 kyats per person to get a ride to the elevator and escalator which is located on the foot of the highest of the temple. We had plenty of time so we decided to trek up the hill by foot. There were a lot of stairs, and we were dripping with sweat by the time we made it to the top, and we passed several temples along the way. We were happy we chose to walk up as it added to our overall experience. Kuthodaw Pagoda Lying at the foot of Mandalay Hill (just a few hundred feet from where you have the option to walk […]
The World’s Largest Book The Kuthodaw Pagoda or Maha Lawka Marazein Paya is located at the base of the southeast stairways to Mandalay Hill and was built by King Mindon at the same time he was constructing the Royal Palace. Its central stupa is modeled on the Shwezigon at Nyaung U near Bagan. The Charity Group of the Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay painted the campus of the Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as World’s Largest Book Heritage site on 11.11.2016.They announced at the Hotel social media page that anyone who wishes to join them in helping preserve one of the most important monuments in Mandalay. The stupa itself, connected to the outside entry by means of a long corridor, is set in the middle of a thirteen acre field of 729 pitaka pagodas or shrines (Dama Cetis). Each shrine contains a marble slab, inscribed on both sides with the Pali script text of a portion the Tipitaka (Pali spelling, or Tripitaka, in Sanskrit), Theravada Buddhism’s sacred texts. Taken together, they contain the entire text of the Tipitaka and thus form “the world’s largest book.” The slabs were carved from white Sagyin Hill marble found just a few miles north of […]
Hospitality to any visitor or guest is a Myanmar Tradition. Without expecting any presents or cash in return for their hospitality, they are only proud of being able to host the guests. This is not just Myanmar custom anymore, now, it becomes the custom of Asia.Myanmar people take concern for any visitors who have no acquaintances or relatives to stay for the night. So, they have built the Zayats, the rest house, for any visitor to stay. A Zayat is a kind of hotel in Myanmar style, where anyone can stay or take a rest for free charges. Geographically, Mandalay lies at the center of Myanmar. Visiting Myanmar on business or just for pleasure, Mandalay and its surroundings are the most interesting sites. King Mindon may have selected Mandalay as his capital for it’s flat and vast land for beautiful surroundings.There are many beautiful scenarios and cultural edifices around Mandalay. By staying Mandalay, we can visit to many tranquil and quiet places.Mandalay is also located as the central city for commerce and tours. It is reasonable to think that the kind had chosen this place for his capital of this fact. Thudhamma Zayats at the footage of Mandalay Hill are […]
The charity group of the Hotel by the Red Canal, Mandalay performed cleaning of the campus of the Sandamuni Pagoda on 29.09.2016 at 3:00pm. This group wishes to help preservation of the most important monuments and historical heritage sites in Mandalay! The Sanda Muni Buddha Image is situated to the South-East of the Mandalay Hill.It was commissioned by King Mindon Min in 1874 as a memorial to Mindon Min’s younger brother, Kanaung Mintha, who was assassinated along with 3 princes, Malun, Saku, and Maingpyin, during the 1866 Myingun Prince rebellion. This pagoda contains the graves of the Kanaung, Sagu Mintha, Malun and Maingpyin Princes. It also contains an iron image of the Buddha cast by Bodawpaya in 1802, and removed from Amarapura by Mindon in 1874.The statue reportedly weighs 40,924.8 pounds (18,563.2 kg).