Destination

BAGO

It was situated 80 km north east of Yangon. Bago was an ancient capital of Mon Kingdom greatly flourished from 14th to 16th centuries. Founded in AD 825 and King Byinnya U, the second Mon King transferred his capital there in 1365. It was the capital city of Myanmar in the reign of King Bayinnaung during 16th century and of the Hamsavati kingdom for many centuries under the Mon and Myanmar Kings.

Shwemawdaw Pagoda

The most outstanding of Bago’s attractions is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda which is to the Bago what the Shwedagon is to Yangon. Located at the eastern end of Bago, the pagoda has many similarities to the Shwedagon. It is 114 meters high and the tallest pagoda in the world. We believe the Shwemawdaw was built originally by Mon king to enshrine two hairs of the Buddha over 2000 years ago. The stupa was rebuilt several times because it was hit by serious earthquakes. The Shwemawdaw Pagoda Festival is held yearly on the full moon of the Myanmar lunar month of Tagu (March/April)

Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha Image

Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha was built of brick and stucco in 994AD by King Migadippa, before Mons was overpowered by the Myanmar. At 55meters long and 16meters high, it is not quite as large as Chaukhtagyi Buddha image in Yangon. It is reputed to be one of the largest as well as the most lifelike of all reclining Buddhas. The Myanmar say the image represents Buddha in a ‘relaxing’ mode- instead of death or parinibbaba – since the eyes are wide open and the feet lie slightly splayed rather than parallel. The statue was most recently renovated in 1948, when it was re-gilded and paint.

Kyaikpun Pagoda

Kyaikpun Pagoda was built by King Dhammazedi in 1476 AD. It consists of four Buddha figures, each 30 meters high, seated back to back against a square pillar facing the four points of the compass. According to a legend, four Mon sisters were connected with the construction of the Buddhas, it was said that if any of them should marry, one of the Buddhas would collapse. One of the four disintegrated in the 1930 earthquake, leaving only a brick outline. It has since been fully restored

Kanbawzathadi Palace

The original Hanthawady sits surrounding a former Mon Palace has been excavated just south of the huge Shwemawdaw Pagoda. Walled in the Mon style, the square city measured 1.8 km long each side and featured 20 gates in all. The palace compound, known as Kanbawzathadi, housed King Bayinnaung from 1553 to 1599 and covered 204 acres. About 64 acres of this area have been excavated. Bayinnaung, the brother-in-law of a Taungoo King, moved to Bago after conquering an older Mon principality. Only the palace’s brick foundations are visible today. The entire palaces compound was originally surrounded by a teak stockade, a few stumps of which can be seen in the museum.