Mandalay is the second largest city of Myanmar and it is located about 668 km north from Yangon. Mandalay is the city of the last Myanmar Kings and heart of Myanmar’s culture, artistry and religion, surely is the place. Being rich in monasteries and pagodas, Mandalay offers the largest repository of Myanmar arts and crafts for all the arts and crafts lovers around the world. Also, the symbols of religion are richer in Mandalay than in any of the living Myanmar city. It is the principle center for studies of Buddhist literature. To get there, it takes about an hour and a half by air from Yangon, and 16 hours’drive by train, and also 14 hours’ drive by private express buses.
Tourist attraction sides in Mandalay are;
MANDALAY PALACE
One of the most important sightseeing places in Mandalay. It is the city within the city, built in 1857 and destroy by fire during the Second World War. Myanan-san-kyaw Golden Palace , model of the Mandalaypalace with the old city walls and the moat can be found inside the palace grounds. And also Nanmyint-Saung Tower and the Cultural Museum can be found too.
MAHAMUNI PAGODA
Located in southwest Mandalay, off the road towards Amarapuya. It is one of Myanmar’s more famous Buddhist sites. The gold and crimson sites was originally built by King Bodawpaya in 1784. The 4 m – high seated Mahamuni Buddha image is cast in bronze, but now completely covered in thick gold leaves, attracts pilgrims from all over the country.
MANDALAY HILL
One of the most famous place in Mandalay. It is about 236 meters high and the stairs will lead you to havea full panoramic view – the hazy blue outline of the Shan hills to the east, the Mandalay Palace to the south and the Ayeyarwady to the west. Close to the top of the hill a huge Standing Buddha image that looks out towards the royal palace with its outstretched hand pointing to where the Buddha prophesied the location of the future capital.
KTHODAW PAGODA
It is also known as ‘ World’s Largest Book ’ because this pagoda is surrounded by 729 upright marble slabs on which the entire Buddhist scriptures are inscribed.Created by 2,400 monks. It was being built by King MIndon and it was modeled on the ShwezigonPaya at Nyaung U, Bagan.
SHWENANDAW KYAUNG ( GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY )
It stands a couple of hundred meters south of Kuthodaw, built by King Mindon. It is famous for its exquisite wood carving. It was part of the Palace complex during KingMindon’s time before it was shifted piece by piece to the east of the Mandalay palace.
KYAUK-TAW-GYI BUDDHA
It is an 8 m, 900-tonne Buddha, carved from a single block of marble. The marble was so colossal, it’s said that 10,000 men spent 13 days transporting if from a canal to the current site. Mandalay’s biggest festival is held at KyauktawgyiPaya for seven days in early mid-October to commemorate Thandingyut.
