Chapter 1 https://th.readme.me/p/1848

Part 2 @ Bagan https://th.readme.me/p/1864

Part 3 @ Inle https://th.readme.me/p/1871

Episode 4 @ Pyin Oo Lwin https://en.readme.me/p/1872

Episode 5 @ Mandalay-Mingun https://th.readme.me/p/1873

Episode 6 @ Bago-Kyaikh tiyo https://th.readme.me/p/1874

You can talk to us here https://www.facebook.com/NotesfromBackpacker/

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History of Mandalay
Mandalay is a former capital and the third-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon and Naypyidaw. It is located in the Mandalay Region, on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 716 kilometers north of Yangon. It was founded in 1857 by King Mindon, who named it after the nearby Mandalay Hill, which is 775 feet high. Mandalay is the commercial center of northern Myanmar and is the third-largest city in the country, after Yangon and Naypyidaw. It is also an important trading center on the trade route between India and China. The Burmese government has also given it importance by establishing an industrial estate in 1990, which currently has about 1,000 companies operating, mostly steel mills and machinery manufacturing plants. Mandalay is also a transportation hub, with both a port and Mandalay International Airport.

Day 9: Pyin Oo Lwin - Mandalay


I woke up early to catch the first bus to Mandalay at 7 am. After packing and checking out, I saw the staff sleeping on the sofa and the door locked with a chain. I woke them up to open the door for me, and then returned the key, officially completing the check-out process.

At 6:55 am, I walked almost 2 kilometers and barely made it to the first bus, which had only 2 passengers. By the time we departed, we had picked up 3-4 more passengers along the way.

8:00 AM, we stopped at a rest stop with several local shops and restaurants. We were given 20 minutes, after which the driver collected 1,500 kyats from each passenger, the same price for both Burmese and foreigners.

9.00 a.m. to Mandalay, it only takes 2 hours, which is 1 hour faster than expected. But the car didn't stop at the clock tower in the city center. I don't know where it stopped because they called me to get off here. When I got off, there was a motorcycle waiting for me, so I agreed on a price to go to the accommodation I found near the clock tower for 1,500 kyats (from 2,500 kyats). I was going to walk there myself if I couldn't get the price of 1,500 kyats, but after they dropped me off at the accommodation, I felt lucky that they agreed to reduce the price. Otherwise, I would have been crazy to walk there myself. It's super far and the sun and weather in Mandalay are scorching. The weather is different from Pyin Oo Lwin, where it was cold at 16 degrees this morning, but now it's so hot.

After a 10-minute drive, the car arrived at the ET Hotel as planned. I went up to see the room first. I wanted to stay in a room with a shared bathroom, but it was full. The only rooms available were priced at 20 USD or more. So I asked to see the room before going to look elsewhere. I walked back towards the clock tower and a little further down the road, I found another hotel that I had researched, the Nylon Hotel 2. I went up to see the room and the common areas. Everything was much newer than at the ET Hotel, so I decided to stay here. I booked a single room for 18 USD with a private bathroom, air conditioning, and breakfast included.

Nylon has two buildings close to each other. The accommodation is in the new building.

Clean, new, fragrant, with both air conditioning, fan, hot water

Clean, with a bathtub. Most importantly, the water pressure is strong. I like it.

After that, I went down to prepare for the next trip, but I stopped by the counter to ask about the price of the bus ticket to Bago (Hongsawadee) first. There are two air-conditioned bus services: 7:30 p.m. for 14,000 kyats. This service does not include pick-up from the hotel, so you have to travel to the bus station yourself. The 8:30 p.m. service costs 16,000 kyats and includes pick-up from the hotel at 6:30 p.m. I asked about the price of a motorbike to the bus station, which is 3,000 kyats. I thought I would take the later service, but I went out first and came back to book it. Then I walked out and saw a hotel next door. I went to ask about the price of the bus to Bago. It turned out that they only had the 7:30 p.m. service for 12,000 kyats, but I had to travel to the bus station myself, which was a little different from the hotel. So I decided to book at the hotel because the travel time was after check-out, so I could ask to leave my luggage. After I got all the information, I walked to Zegjo Market. It is a fresh market similar to the fresh markets in other cities in Myanmar that I have visited.

Stopped by the market for a bowl of mohinga for 500 kyat.

I wandered around the market for a while until I saw a songthaew parked there. I decided to ask about a ride to U Bein Bridge, as the information I had found said that songthaew route 8 goes there. I walked up to the driver, but we couldn't understand each other very well. So I showed him a picture of U Bein Bridge. He thought I wanted to go right away, and he started to flag down a songthaew for me. A songthaew happened to come by just then, and he flagged it down. I had to quickly shake my head and say "not yet" while thanking him. I decided to come back later in the afternoon and catch the bus from the middle of the market. Then I walked back to my accommodation because I needed to charge my camera battery and drop off some laundry. I also asked the accommodation to find a motorbike driver to take me to Mandalay Palace. We agreed on a price of 2,000 kyats. At first, I was going to walk there myself because it looked walkable on Google Maps, but looking at the weather, I decided to take a motorbike instead. Then I took a ride to Mandalay Palace. I was so glad I didn't walk there because it was the best decision to save my energy for sightseeing. (According to the original plan, I was going to walk from my accommodation because it looked close on the map.)

History of the Mandalay Palace

King Mindon founded the city of Mandalay in 1857 (2400 BE, corresponding to the reign of King Rama IV of Thailand). According to a Buddhist prophecy that has been passed down through the generations, the Buddha once visited Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda. He prophesied that 2,400 years after his death, a capital city would be built at the foot of this hill as a center for Buddhist studies. The prophecy came true in 1861 when King Mindon seized the throne from his half-brother, King Pagan Min, and ordered the relocation of the capital and over 150,000 people from Amarapura to Mandalay, 20 kilometers away. He built his royal palace at the foot of Mandalay Hill and established it as the "Golden City" for the propagation of Buddhism.

After the death of King Mindon in 1878, King Thibaw and Queen Suphayalat ascended the throne. The city of Mandalay, which had flourished under King Mindon's rule, suffered a tragic fate and became a symbol of the dark ages of Burma. The two monarchs brutally killed many of their relatives to prevent rebellion. To make matters worse, an epidemic broke out, and they ordered the execution of court officials and foreigners to alleviate the disaster, following the advice of astrologers. The cruelty of the two monarchs, as well as their special favor for the French, displeased the British, who annexed Burma as a colony in 1885. King Thibaw and Queen Suphayalat were invited to leave the country and reside in India, where they died. Mandalay was reduced to a mere colonial city, renamed Fort Dufferin by the British (but no one called it that).

In March 1945 (BE 2488, during World War II), the Royal Palace, which was built almost entirely of teak wood, was bombarded by the British army. The city was defended by a handful of Japanese and Burmese soldiers. When the fighting ended, the golden palace was reduced to ashes. Only the moat and city walls remained. The authorities rebuilt parts of the palace, but it was not as beautiful as the original.

Upon reaching the palace, walk to the left side where there will be a ticket booth in front of the palace entrance. The entrance fee is 10,000 jats.

Ticket booth

As you enter the gate, walk 50 meters and you will see a lot of bicycles parked on the left-hand side. This is a bicycle rental shop where you can rent a bike for 1,000 JAT. I recommend renting a bike because it's a long walk. Once you reach the palace, there are restaurants and cafes in front where you can park your car or take it to the parking lot inside the palace.

Bicycle rental point

Cannon in front of the palace stairs

Observation deck

After that, walk to the Sandamuni Pagoda.
History of Sandamuni Pagoda
King Mindon ordered its construction to dedicate merit to the Maha Uparaja Kanaung, his younger brother who was assassinated by rebels in an attempt to usurp the throne in 1866. This was one of the factors that led to Burma's loss of independence to the British. Burmese history records that the Maha Uparaja Kanaung was highly skilled in military, economic, and engineering matters, so King Mindon was deeply saddened by this loss.
The Sandamuni Pagoda is modeled after the Shwezigon Pagoda, just like the Kuthodaw Pagoda. King Mindon also ordered the "Phra Santimuni," a bronze Buddha statue from the time of King Bodawpaya of Amarapura, to be brought in as the main Buddha image. Therefore, the temple was named "Santimuni." He also ordered the construction of a pavilion to house the remains of the Maha Uparaja, along with those of the royal family and officials who were killed by the rebels, surrounding the pagoda. Later, the Rishi U Khandi, who gathered the faith to build religious sites at Mandalay Hill, had craftsmen inscribe the commentary of the Tripitaka on 1,774 stone tablets and enclosed them in a white pavilion, similar to the one at the Kuthodaw Pagoda. In the center of the temple is a round pagoda in the Burmese style that we see everywhere. It is modeled after the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan. This pagoda is called "Maha Lokamarachin" and is highly revered by the Burmese people.

Then walk to the nearby Kuthodaw Pagoda

History of Kuthodaw Pagoda

King Mindon built this temple to commemorate the 5th Buddhist Council, a great act of merit that he successfully completed in 1871. He ordered the inscription of the 84,000 teachings of the Tripitaka on 729 marble slabs, with 2 pages per slab, for a total of 1,428 pages. This is considered the largest Tripitaka in the world. This Buddhist Council was the first in the history of Buddhism to record the Tripitaka in the Pali language, and it was also inscribed on ola leaves from Sri Lanka.

On that occasion, three venerable monks, namely Phra Chakkraphiphatthiwangsa, Phra Narinthaphithitcha, and Phra Sumangkla Sami, took turns as presidents in order. There were 2,400 monks and teachers who were experts in the Dhamma who attended the meeting. It took 5 months to complete. (Suchip Punyanuphap, The Tripitaka for the People, Bangkok: Mahamakut Rajavidyalaya, 2539, p. 11)

The white pagodas, called "Chedi Noi", are arranged in a beautiful row around the stone inscription in Pali language. This inscription is the Tripitaka, which was compiled in Burma in 2400 BE and consists of 729 plates, each with 2 sides. ...These small pagodas are arranged around the "Maha Lokamarazein" pagoda, which is called "Maha Lokamarazein" by the Burmese.

Continue to Shwenandaw Kyaung

History of Shwenandaw Monastery

The Golden Palace, or Shwenandaw, was the residence of King Mindon, the founder of Mandalay. It is said that he died in this palace while meditating during his illness.

The original text is in Thai. Here is the translation in English:

When King Thibaw ascended the throne, he ordered the monastery to be moved outside the palace walls in 1880, as per King Mindon's wishes before his death. It is known as "Shwenandaw Monastery" or "Golden Palace Monastery".

This palace is the only one in Mandalay that survived the bombing during World War II. It is therefore considered the only true Mandalay palace that remains to this day. The Royal Palace is a wooden palace built with golden teak wood that has been intricately carved with patterns in every part of the palace, both inside and out. The 5-tiered castle-style roof is a hallmark of the Mandalay architectural style, leading to the saying that Bagan is the pinnacle of brick and mortar pagodas and Mandalay is the ultimate in ornate and magnificent woodwork.

Next to Shwenandaw Monastery is Atumashi Kyaung Monastery.

History of Atumashi Kyaung

This temple is known for its unique and beautiful architecture, unlike any other temple in Mandalay. The name "Atumashi" in Burmese means "unparalleled beauty," and this temple is widely regarded as one of the most magnificent buildings in Southeast Asia. Construction began in 1857 during the reign of King Mindon, who was establishing a new capital city. The building is square-shaped and was initially constructed with a wooden frame and plastered with stucco. The roof is a multi-tiered pyramid with balconies on all five levels. Originally, the interior housed four volumes of the Tripitaka scriptures in teakwood boxes, along with a 9-meter-tall main Buddha statue adorned with fine silk cloth fit for a king. It is believed that the Buddha statue contained valuable treasures within, including a large diamond donated by King Mindon that was placed on its forehead. Sadly, the diamond was stolen during the British occupation of the city. In 1890, a fire tragically destroyed the entire building and its contents. In 1996, Burmese archaeologists, with the help of convict labor, meticulously restored the temple to its current splendor. Upon entering the temple grounds, one cannot help but admire the skill and artistry of the Burmese craftsmen who meticulously carved the intricate stucco decorations adorning the doorways and pillars. The interior features a stunning multi-tiered wooden ceiling.

Today, each place can only be seen for a short time. We have to hurry because we need to leave time to travel to the U Bein Bridge by a shared taxi that the locals use. From here, there are motorbikes in front to serve customers, so we went to contact the father to travel to the Zay Cho Market. Go to the bus stop on line 8 (which I found in the morning), the price is 2,000 kyats.

At 3:00 PM, the car stopped at the same market as before, but now the shops are starting to close and the shared taxis that were parked before have all disappeared. What should I do now? So I walked out to the main road, Mandalay-Shwebo Rd. This is the road that goes straight to the clock tower because it is the main road with many shared taxis passing by. I walked and asked until I reached an intersection where there were shared taxis parked that would pass the market at the entrance to the U Bein Bridge. The intersection is marked by the AGD Bank on the corner. This is the intersection of 84th-30th st. But the car I got on didn't have a route number. The bus number 8 according to the information I found will be parked at another intersection, the intersection of 84th-29th st. From the intersection where I got on the bus, I walked back towards the clock tower just one more intersection.

The location from the accommodation to the red car parking point to U Bein Bridge, which will pass Zegyo Market. This is the street that will turn into a walking street at night.

This one doesn't have a car cable.

When I got on the bus, someone came to collect the fare of 200 kyats. However, they waited until the bus was full before leaving. The bus left at 3:30 pm, but after that, it stopped to pick up passengers at intervals. During this time, I showed the picture of the U Bein Bridge to the people on the bus and asked them to let me know when we arrived. Everyone was very cooperative. When we were about to arrive, a monk who got on the bus and the villagers helped me by telling me and pointing at their watches, indicating that it was almost sunset and that I should get off the bus and quickly get on a motorbike (the monk even made a gesture of riding a motorbike, lol).

4:30 p.m. The car parked in front of the market at the entrance to the U Bein Bridge. As the light started to fade, I crossed the street and asked for a motorbike to the bridge at the betel nut shop at the market entrance. The shopkeeper called a driver for me and we agreed on a price of 1,500 kyats.

The market entrance and the betel nut shop where I went to inquire about a car to the bridge

In front of the betel nut shop, you can see the number 8 bus waiting to take people to Mandalay city.

After a while, we arrived at the U Bein Bridge, where there were many souvenir shops and restaurants. There were also a lot of tourists, with dozens of buses parked and people crowding together like at Chatuchak Market. I was surprised at first because when I was in the city, I saw some foreigners but not that many. But now, I don't know where they all came from, but there were so many of them. After getting off the bus, I hurried down to the riverside. At first, I wanted to take a boat to the middle of the river, but after looking around, I saw that there was a spot to take pictures under the bridge, so I didn't bother paying to take a boat. I walked around looking for a good angle to take pictures under the bridge, and it turned out pretty well.

History of U Bein Bridge

U Bein Bridge is the longest teakwood bridge in the world, stretching 2 kilometers long. Located in the south of Amarapura, Myanmar, it was built from teak salvaged from the old palace of Ava when the capital was moved from Ava to Amarapura. A total of 1,208 posts were used to build the bridge, which is over 200 years old. U Bein Bridge spans Taungthaman Lake and leads directly to the Kyauktawgyi Pagoda on the other side of the lake. The name U Bein comes from a nobleman named "U Bein" who was commissioned by King Bodawpaya to oversee the construction of the bridge, which is located in Amarapura before reaching the city of Mandalay.

The view under the bridge is also quite interesting.

A boat taking tourists to watch the sunset view in the middle of the water

While Japan has the Fushimi Inari Taisha's torii gates, here we have the U Bein Bridge's pillars, which are beautiful in a different way.

This is a torii gate in Japan ^^

The light is starting to look good.

Someone came to take a picture of this view too.

5:30 PM. After admiring the beauty, I walked back to my motorbike to head back to the front of the market. I really wanted to stay longer, but the owner of the betel nut shop told me that the last bus for route 8 was at 6:00 PM, so I had to hurry back. The sight I saw today at U Bein Bridge was already a joy. Unlike in Thailand, motorbike taxis here don't wear vests or uniforms. I just noticed that most of them park their motorbikes in groups. If you see this, just walk up and ask. Most of the time, they will approach you before you reach them and ask, "Taxi (bike)?" This time, I got a price of 1,000 kyats. The motorbike will stop at the front of the market. When I got off, I walked to wait in front of the same betel nut shop. The good thing is that the owner came out to stand and watch the car with me. After a while, the car came, and he waved it down for me. The car that he waved down was a car without a route sign, just like before, but it was smaller. Most importantly, there were no seats, so I had to sit on the floor of the car. 555 What's a little confusing is that the fare was 500 kyats, which is more expensive. What's up with that? ^^

The car was so full of people that there was no room to sit. So much so that when the monk got on the bus, he climbed up and sat on the roof, becoming the sacred object of the bus.

6:10 PM. Arrived at Sayjo Market before the car stopped. Showed the villagers a picture of where we would be getting off, near the clock tower. But the car ended up parking at the end of Sayjo Market. When the car stopped, everyone got off. A monk offered to walk me to the clock tower because he was going to pass by there on his way to his temple. When we reached the clock tower, I said goodbye to him. Knowing the way back to my accommodation, I walked back along the same route to find something to eat. At night, this area is closed to traffic for a short period and becomes a walking street with food and other goods for sale.

Rice with curry, 1,000 kyats each, is a pork belly curry that looks similar to stewed pork but is not sweet.

Known as "Wua Ta Doh Toe", this dish features pork and offal simmered in a broth similar to "pallo", with each skewer costing 100 kyats. It is served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce and the simmering broth in the center of the pot for a hot sip. Enjoy with fresh chili peppers and garlic. If you're not afraid of gaining weight, this dish is delicious and I easily finished 16 skewers. The damage was 1,600 kyats, which is about 45 Thai baht.

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Day 10: Mandalay - Mingun - Bago

3:00 AM: Woke up and took a shower to get ready for the Mahamuni Buddha washing ceremony. After showering, I rushed down to the lobby to meet the driver that the hotel had arranged for me yesterday. As soon as I got downstairs, I saw him parked right in front of the hotel. It turned out he was staying right next door to the hotel, which explained why he was able to arrive so quickly. (I guess that's why he charged extra for the early morning pick-up!) Oh, and by the way, I asked his name today and it's Uncle Maung Sa (a bit of a scary name, haha).

3:30 AM: We arrived at the Mahamuni Pagoda. Uncle Maung Sa parked the car in the temple's parking lot and paid a 200 kyat parking fee.

Biography of Phra Mahamuni

The Mahamuni Buddha, a bronze statue of the Buddha adorned in royal attire, sits in the Maravijaya posture with a lap width of 3 meters. It is theคู่บ้านคู่เมือง (guardian spirit) of Burma and is enshrined in Mandalay, the former royal capital of Burma during the Konbaung dynasty. The name Mahamuni translates to "the supremely wise one," and the Burmese people refer to it as Maha Myat Muni. It is a Buddha statue adorned in royal attire and was originally theคู่บ้านคู่เมือง of Arakan.

Legend has it that the Mahamuni Buddha statue was created during the time of the Buddha by the king of Arakan. The statue is made of bronze, stands 12 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs 6.5 tons. Before its creation, the king had a dream in which the Buddha appeared and blessed the statue, saying that it would be a representation of him and serve to propagate his teachings in the future. In the past, even when Arakan was attacked by powerful kings from other cities, the Mahamuni Buddha statue could not be moved from the city due to various obstacles. However, in 1784, during the reign of King Bodawpaya of the Konbaung Dynasty, Arakan was conquered, and the Mahamuni Buddha statue was successfully transported from Arakan to Mandalay via the Irrawaddy River. The Mahamuni Buddha statue has resided in Mandalay permanently ever since.

And with the belief that Phra Phuttha Mahamuni is a living Buddha statue, because it is said that he received a blessing (some legends say he received the breath of the Buddha), there is a tradition of washing his face. Every morning, around 4:00 a.m., the monks and devotees who have faith will come to perform the ceremony of washing his face with fragrant water mixed with fine thanaka. They will then use a gold brush to brush his lips, as if brushing the teeth of the Buddha. They will then use a cloth donated by the devotees to wipe it dry. Finally, they will use a gold fan to fan him, as if they were attending to the Lord Buddha who is still alive.

The Mahamuni Buddha statue has been gilded so many times that it is now wrinkled and bumpy all over. If you press your finger into it, you can feel the softness of the gold leaf that has been layered on top of each other for thousands and thousands of layers over the course of more than a century. This has given the Mahamuni Buddha another name: "The Soft Buddha." But strangely, even though the gold has been applied repeatedly, making the Buddha statue larger and larger, the face of the Mahamuni Buddha still looks miraculously large, even though no gold has been applied to the face at all.

Uncle Maung Sa then walked us into the temple to the front of the Mahamuni Buddha. By this time, the crowd had started to grow, so I hurried to find a seat at the very front so I could see the ceremony clearly. After a while, Uncle Maung Sa came to tap me on the shoulder and told me that if I wanted to go in and apply gold leaf to the Buddha, I had to wear a longyi. I was wearing shorts at the time, which was allowed, but if we were going to approach the Buddha, we had to dress modestly. So I walked out to find the longyi I had brought with me (the first time I had worn it since buying it in Bagan). When I was done, I went back to find a seat, but when I came back after putting on the longyi, the crowd had grown even bigger than before. It was amazing how quickly it had happened.

The front zone closest to the Buddha statue is the most restricted area, with an iron railing barrier at the back. This is the zone reserved for women to sit.

4:00 AM It's time for the ceremony to wash the Buddha's face. Starting with placing the ceremonial items in front of the Buddha statue, the senior monks then perform a chanting ceremony. They then begin to drape the Buddha statue with a cloth, brush its teeth, and use a sponge dipped in cleaning solution to wash the Buddha's face. A fan is used to dry the cleaning solution, and then a cloth is used to wipe the face in a circular motion until it is clean. This completes the ceremony.

5:00 AM: We returned to our accommodation by car to rest. We then arranged for Uncle Maung Sa to pick us up at 8:30 AM to take us to the Mayan Jan pier, from where we would travel to Mingun. After resting for almost 3 hours, we went down to the lobby for breakfast, which was prepared by the accommodation. The breakfast included a fried egg for each of us, and we could help ourselves to other items such as plain rice, stir-fried long beans, two side dishes, bread, coffee, tea, and bananas. After finishing our breakfast, we went outside to find Uncle Maung Sa, who was waiting for us in front.

8.40 a.m. Arrive at Mayan Gyan Jetty. The uncle will pick you up again at 1.30 p.m.

Uncle Mauza, the kind-hearted man who always smiles, except when he forgets to smile when taking pictures. 555

After that, walk down to the left side, there will be a prominent wooden building, which is the ticket office for the boat to Mingun. The process is to queue up and prepare 5,000 kyats and your passport. When you buy the ticket, they will only ask for the name of your accommodation. If they know you are from Thailand, they will greet you with "Thank you" in Thai. 555 After paying the money, you will get a boat ticket. Another officer will explain that the boat leaves at 9.00 am and to wait for your name to be called on the boat specified on the ticket. The return trip is at 12.30 pm, but you should arrive before the boat leaves. After that, you can go and wait for the boat at the riverside.

Ticket booth

The passport used after that will get a return boat ticket like this.

At 9:00 am, someone called out the name of the boat as indicated on the ticket. This boat took 16 people up, and the seats inside were comfortable reclining seats. It is recommended to sit on the far left side as the sun does not shine there. The journey took 1 hour, and the boat stopped at the riverside, where there were oxcarts waiting to pick up customers who wanted to use the service. In fact, all the places to visit today are within walking distance, unless you want to experience the atmosphere, in which case you can use the service.

If you're afraid of getting dark or sunburned, you can buy it. If you see the sun is strong, it really burns. The sun here is

From the point where the boat docks, walk along the riverbank until you see some large trees. Turn left there and walk for about 20 meters. You will see a ticket booth for the Mingun city entrance fee. The entrance fee is 5,000 kyats per person.

Ticket booth

Admission fee here

After paying the entrance fee, I noticed a beautiful white stupa next to it. Actually, I saw it when I got off the boat.

**Zaytawun Pagoda**

The pagoda was built by King Bodawpaya to cover the footprint of the Buddha on a marble slab. It is a symbol of the first step into the land where King Bodawpaya intended to build the Mingun Pagoda, or "Emperor's Pagoda", the largest and tallest pagoda in Suvarnabhumi.

There is a pair of lions facing the Irrawaddy River in front.

History: Built by King Bodawpaya, who had the idea to build the "Mingun Pagoda" or "Emperor's Pagoda", the largest pagoda in all of Suvarnabhumi. However, the construction was not completed.

The reason for not being completed is

After King Bodawpaya had moved his army to attack Arakan and successfully brought the Mahamuni Buddha image to Mandalay, he became arrogant and confident that he had more power than any other king in Burmese history.

Therefore, he wanted to do something bigger and more difficult by waging war to spread his influence in all directions. He led his army to attack the newly established Rattanakosin city twice: the Nine Armies' War and the Battle of Tha Din Daeng. However, he was defeated and had to retreat.

At the same time, he also conscripted a large number of slave labor to build the "Mingun Pagoda" to enshrine the "Buddha's Tooth Relic" obtained from the King of China. He hoped that it would be as grand as the Mahazedi Pagoda in Bagan and larger and more magnificent than the "Phra Pathom Chedi" in Siam, which at that time was considered the tallest pagoda in Suvarnabhumi. This led to pressure that caused 50,000 Arakanese slaves to flee the forced labor and take refuge in Bengal, which was a territory under British rule. They then gathered forces and became bandits, frequently attacking the Burmese army. Burma accused Britain of backing them, which became the fuse that ignited the war between Burma and Britain later on, and ultimately led to Burma losing its territory. The construction of the Mingun Pagoda only lasted for 7 years.

King Bodawpaya died after being defeated by the Siamese in the Nine Armies' War. The grand pagoda that he had envisioned was only completed up to the base, which still stands at an impressive 50 meters tall. The cracks at the base are the result of an earthquake in 1838. It is said that if the pagoda had been completed according to plan, it would have been the largest and tallest pagoda in the world, reaching a height of 152 meters.

Here, the attractions are close together and easy to walk to. Along the way, there are many restaurants and shops.

Opposite the Mingun Pagoda, there are two giant boulders. These stones are a pair of lions placed to guard the front of the Mingun Pagoda. They are incredibly large and impressive.

Inside the pagoda, there is only this room to worship the Buddha statue. If anyone wants to climb to the top of the pagoda, come out and walk to the left, there will be a walkway up.

The real earthquake cracks are damaged, the big cracks are very scary.

The water drains around the base of the pagoda in the shape of a crocodile's head.

Anyone who likes to climb and enjoy high views can go up.

The Mingun Bell

The bell was built by King Bodawpaya as a dedication to the Mingun Pagoda. The bell is of a size befitting its purpose. It is said that King Bodawpaya did not want anyone to build a bell that would imitate his, so he ordered the execution of the craftsman as soon as it was completed.

After walking for another 5 minutes, you will see the Mingun Bell on the left. The Mingun Bell is large, but not as large as I imagined. It has a circumference of 10 meters, a height of 3.70 meters, and a weight of 87 tons. Currently, this bell is considered to be a giant bell smaller than only one bell in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. However, the Kremlin bell is cracked and can no longer be used. The Mingun Bell is therefore the only giant bell in the world that can still produce a resounding sound.

The entrance is on the left side of the road (if walking from the pagoda)

Inside the bell

In front, there will be things for sale. Seeing them makes my mouth water.

The most popular snack of the people here ^^

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda, also known as the Myatheindan Pagoda

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda, also known as the Myatheindan Pagoda

Known as the "Taj Mahal of the Ayeyarwady River Basin," the Shwezigon Pagoda, also known as the Myatheindan Pagoda, was built in 1816 by King Bagyidaw, the grandson of King Bodawpaya, as a memorial to his beloved Queen Shwezigon, who died prematurely. The essence of this pagoda lies in its Buddhist art, which is based on the principles of the universe. The pagoda itself stands at the center of Mount Meru, believed to be the center of the universe, surrounded by mountains and oceans according to the Tribhumi cosmology.

After walking for no more than 10 minutes, you will come across the Myatheindan Pagoda, a beautiful white pagoda.

After paying respects at the Myat Tein Dan Pagoda, I walked back the way I came to find lunch. All in all, I spent about an hour and a half to two hours visiting this place.

I ordered fried rice and coke for 2,500 kyats today.

12.10 p.m. I walked back to the boat at the original point. When I arrived, there were already 4 people waiting. If anyone has arrived and wants to use the restroom, there is a free one on the lower deck of the boat. The boat waited until 12.35 p.m. before departing, even though only 9 people out of the 16 who came on the way back had extended their time. If anyone comes, please be on time. It's really brutal ^^

13.40 p.m. Arrived at Maya Pier and saw Uncle Maza waving at me from afar. He had a lovely white smile. 55 At first, I was going to go back to the hotel, but I changed my mind and asked him to take me to Diamond Plaza instead. The fare for today was 8,000 kyats. When I arrived at the mall, I walked to the money exchange counter on the 1st floor. It was just in time to exchange some more money into kyats because I was running out.

I'll exchange another 100 USD. The exchange wasn't even finished when the staff changed the exchange rate sign to a higher price. They were smiling. 555

As I descended to the lowest floor, I noticed a coffee shop and decided to stop for a bite. Seeing the cakes, I couldn't resist ordering two slices. However, they were a bit too rich for my taste, and I only managed a few bites. Initially, I planned to stay longer, but the abundance of mosquitoes drove me upstairs to explore the other floors. This mall reminded me of Platinum Fashion Mall back home, but it seemed older, with most shops selling clothing.

After being lazy to walk, I went out to find a motorbike parked next to the mall to go to the accommodation for 1,500 Kyat. I sat in the lobby for a while and then went to pay for the laundry 2,000 Kyat.

After finishing, I went out to find dinner. This meal cost 1,500 kyats.

After that, I walked back to the accommodation. Before I left, I asked if I could take a shower, and they let me. They told me to go to the shower on the lobby floor. The water pressure was amazing, and it was free! ^^ They were so kind that when I was about to go in, the staff brought me a towel, but I already had one with me, and I had already checked out, so I didn't dare to use their towel.

6:05 PM. I haven't finished packing yet when the tour bus came to pick me up at Mandalay Transport. We stopped to pick up 2-3 more people along the way.

6:35 PM arrived at the transport company. The bus was parked in front of a company that I don't know the name of. It was written in Burmese and I can't read it.

8:10 PM The staff called me to get on the bus. The interior of the bus was similar to a Thai school bus. There were 4 seats per row with blankets, drinking water, sweet drinks, 2 pieces of cake, and very cold air conditioning. Along the way, the bus stopped to pick up passengers several times until it was almost full.

The car company that went today

The bus that goes to Bago

Inside the car, the air conditioning is very cold.

8:30 p.m. Departure, exactly on time. During this time, the TV on the bus will be turned on to show Burmese music videos, which is very annoying. T_T

10:30 PM. Park for 25 minutes.

11:00 PM. Continue the journey.

Episode 6 @ Bago-Kyaikh tiyo https://th.readme.me/p/1874