Mandalay, splendor of the Golden Age

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Mandalay, the very name evokes the splendors of the Burma of old. But, most people will be surprised to learn that Mandalay is not an old city, not even a medieval one, but rather a new city that was created by King Mingdon Min of Burma in 1857 as the new capital of the kingdom of Ava. Only two Burmese kings ruled from there, King Mingdon and King Thibaw, before the British conquest of Upper Burma in 1885. It was a city of splendor between 1858 and 1885 but most of the magnificence is gone, destroyed by the fire that consumes wooden structures and by intensive bombing by the Allies during the Second World War. The city, neatly planned with its lettered roads and numbered streets, is a British creation. The once magnificent Royal Palace and the great Atumashi (incomparable) pagoda, King Mingdon Min's finest creations, are modern reconstructions supervised by the ruling Military junta with the help of forced labour.

TEXT FROM WIKITRAVEL, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED.

Published: 2012-05-13 13:11:56 UTC

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Mandalay Palace

The Mandalay Palace, located in Mandalay, Myanmar, is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy. The palace was constructed, between 1857 and 1859 as part of King Mindon's founding of the new royal capital city of Mandalay. The plan of Mandalay Palace largely follows the traditional Burmese palace design, inside a walled fort surrounded by a moat. The palace itself is at the centre of the citadel and faces east. All buildings of the palace are of one storey in height.

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Mahamuni Pagoda

The Mahamuni Buddha Temple (also called the Mahamuni Pagoda) is a Buddhist temple and major pilgrimage site, located southwest of Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar). The Mahamuni Buddha image (literal meaning: The Great Sage) is deified in this temple, and originally came from Arakan. It is highly venerated in Burma and central to many people's lives, as it is seen as an expression of representing the Buddha's life.

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Shwenandaw Monastery

Shwenandaw Monastery is a historical monastery located near Mandalay Hill. It was built by King Mindon in the 19th century. It is known for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths, which adorn its walls and roofs. The monastery is built in the traditional Burmese architectural style. King Mindon Min died on this building. King Thibaw Min, son of King Mindon moved this building from the palace to its current location. Shwenandaw Monastery is the single remaining major structure of the original wooden Royal Palace today.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY Jean-Marie Hullot, cb Some rights reserved

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Mandalay Puppet Theatre

One of the best well known Myanmar traditional theatre performances in Myanmar.

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Kuthodaw Pagoda

Kuthodaw Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa, located in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), that contains the world's largest book. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon. The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 188 feet (57 m) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 kyauksa gu or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY Jean-Marie Hullot, cb Some rights reserved

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Marble Sculptors near Mahamuni Pagoda

Mandalay is famous for tapestry making, marble sculpture and wood carving.

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Beating Gold into Gold Leaves in Mandalay

Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY DamienHR, cba Some rights reserved

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Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery, Ava

Inwa or Ava, located in Mandalay Region, Burma (Myanmar), is an ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries. Throughout history, it was sacked and rebuilt numerous times. The capital city was finally abandoned after it was completely destroyed by a series of major earthquakes in March 1839. Though only a few traces of its former grandeur remain today, the former capital is a popular day-trip tourist destination from Mandalay.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY antwerpenR, cb Some rights reserved

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Sagaing

Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region (formerly Sagaing Division) in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous hills along the ridge running parallel to the river. The central pagoda, Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, is connected by a set of covered staircases that run up the 240 m hill.

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Mingun

The Mingun temple is a monumental uncompleted stupa began by King Bodawpaya in 1790. It was not completed, due to an astrologer claiming that, once the temple was finished, the king would die. The completed stupa would have been the largest in the world at 150 meters. Huge cracks are visible on the structure from the earthquake of 23 March 1839.

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Taungthaman Lake. Amarapura

PHOTO BY Malgorzata Kopczynska, cbn Some rights reserved

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U Bein Bridge, Amarapura

A 1.2 km wooden footbridge (longest teak bridge in the world) built by the mayor U Bein salvaging the unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay.