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 MANDALAY:
Situated
at the edge of the Shan Plateau, it was the country’s capital
until 1885, when the last king was sent into exile by the British
conquerors. Mandalay’s old splendour comes alive in her numerous
temples,
monasteries and the reconstructed palace. Many visitors consider the Mahamuni
the most important object of interest - it is the most revered Buddha statue
in the country. |
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Others are Kuthodaw Temple, the “world’s biggest book”,
the Golden Monastery and, of course, the famous sunset from Mandalay Hill.
Equally famous are Mandalay’s artists and craftsmen that have earned the city
the title “cradle of Burmese culture”. Visits to the workshops of bronze
casters, marble sculptors and gold-leaf beaters as well as others are an indispensable part of a visit to Mandalay.
The
surrounding areas of Mandalay are equally worthwhile. Until today
numerous buildings in Amarapura
and Ava, which cities preceeded Mandalay as capital, still bear witness to old
ancient glory. |
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A walk along U Bein
Bridge - being the longest teakwood bridge in the
world - to the picturesque village of Taunghtaman gives an insight into rural
Myanmar.
On the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River the pagoda-studded hills of
Sagaing invite for a walk - and how about a chat with the friendly nuns who tell
you about their secluded life in the nunnery? |
In the small hamlet of Mingun,
about an hour’s upstream from Mandalay, we stand speechless in front of the
remains of 'Bodawphaya’s Dream'. This powerful monarch planned to build
the biggest pagoda in the world with a height of more than 170 m. However,
Bodawphaya died before the monument could be completed and his successor left it
untouched. An earthquake split the structure’s base; however, what remained
of the building is still
very impressive… |
An
excursion to the hill station Pyin U Lwin (formerly Maymyo) originating from
the British time warps the traveler into a bygone area...suddenly you have the feeling you
arrived in a turn-of-the-century British
highland village: Old churches, cozy hotels, a golf course - everything is
there. The hill station is about two hours by car from Mandalay. Around Pyin U
Lwin various waterfalls are inviting the weary traveler to a swim. |
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Lashio, the last big
city before the Chinese border can be reached in a few hours. On the way to
Lashio a stop in Hsipaw, once the capital of a Shan chief's state, may be
rewarding. Railway enthusiasts definitely are going to like the trip from
Mandalay to Lashio or vice versa by train: Between Mandalay and Pyin U Lwin the
train climbs up more than 1,000 m in spectacular zigzags - an adventure definitely not to be
missed! |
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After another two hours the train arrives at the
breathtaking Gokteik Rail Viaduct which is claiming to be the second highest in the
world. It was built by an American company in the early 20th century
with a 75-years-warranty that expired recently...
However, this is nothing to
worry about as the train creeps over the viaduct at a pedestrian’s pace! |
Paul
Theroux’s novel 'The Great Railway Bazaar' gives a rather impressive
description of this trip. The train continues through wide valleys and dense
jungle, passing the occasional waterfall on its way to Lashio.
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Another
rewarding excursion is a journey to Monywa, about four hours from Mandalay. This
city of about 100,000 people is the center of the Chindwin Basin.
It stuns the visitor with its Thanboddhaye Temple, which houses nearly 600,000
Buddha images!
Crossing the Chindwin River to its west bank, the Powintaung
Caves can be reached in only 45 minutes. |
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Literally
hundreds of caves, the earliest of them dating back to the 13th
century, make the cave system to one of the biggest of its kind in South
East Asia; Thousands of Buddha statues and murals bear witness to the
strong belief of the donors.
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