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Sagaing
Sagaing Hill It is known as a religious retreat where over 600 monasteries for monks and nuns are located for Buddhistic studies and meditation. The Padamyazedi dates from 1300 while the Onhmin Thonze or thirty caves pagoda has many Buddha images in a crescent shaped colonnade. Mural paintings can be seen in the Tilawkaguru cave temple, which was built around 1672. The Pa Ba Gyaung is typical of the many monasteries on the hillside. And at the nearby village of Ywahtaung you can see silver workers producing bowls and other silver items by traditional methods.
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Inwa Bridge The road to Sagaing crosses the river on the sixteen span Inwa Bridge that is well over a km long. Opened in 1934 the bridge was put out of action by the British in 1942 when they demolished two spans in order to deny the bridge to the advancing Japanese. Not until 1954 was the bridge repaired and put back into operation. There's a toll to take cars across the bridge, which also carries the rail line. Inwa Bridge used to be the longest-bridge in Myanmar until the emergence of Thanlyin Bridge in 1993.
Kaunghmudaw Pagoda ![]() Sagaing Kaung Hmu Daw Pagoda, which literally means " Pagoda of Royal Merit at Sagaing ". But its official Pali name is "Rajamanicula". Built by King Tha Lun (A.D. 1629 –1642) of Nyaung Yan dynasty (A.D 1599 – 1752) in the year A. D. 1636 in commemoration of the reestablishment of Inwa as capital, the pagoda is the monument of historic importance as well as an object of veneration of the Buddhist masses because it enshrines the Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Unfortunately its grotesque shape has stretched the imagination of some story tellers to fabricate a silly etiological tale – when the royal architects asked King Tha Lun what shape he would like to build, the chief queen who was present nearby suddenly exposed her rounded breast for model! When and who cooked up this sacrilegious make believe is unknown, and some unlicensed tourist guides are telling their clients that it is the " breast pagoda".
Amarapura Situated about 11 km south of Mandalay, Amarapura is an ancient capital of the Konbaung Dynasty. The modern town of Amarapura is often referred to as Taungmyo "the southern city" to distinguish It from Mandalay, the northern city. The old name means "city of immortality" but Amarapura's period, as capital was brief. Amarapura was founded as his new capital by Bodawpaya in 1783, soon after he ascended to the throne. In 1823 Bagyidaw moved back to Inwa. In 1841 Amarapura again became the capital but in 1857 Mindon decided to make Mandalay the capital and the changeover was completed in 1860. There are several interesting sltes to be seen. Amarapura was also the slte for the first British embassy in Myanmar in 1795. Amarapura is noted for silk and cotton weaving and bronze easting.
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Patodawgyi Pagoda Built by Bagyidaw in 1820 this well preserved pagoda stood outside the old city walls. The lower terraces have marble slabs illustrating scenes from the Jataka. You'll have a fine view over the surrounding countryside from the upper terrace. An inscription stone, within the temple precincts, details the history of the pagoda's construction.
![]() The ruined Mingun Pahtodawgyi is the remains of a massive unfinished Buddhist stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790. The temple was not completed, due to an astrologer claiming that, once the temple was finished, the king would die. Despite its ruined state, the remains are impressive, making it the largest pile of bricks in the world.
U Bein's Bridge ![]()
South of the Patodawgyi Pagoda the shallow Taungthaman Lake is crossed by a huge teak bridge. During the dry season the bridge crosses dry land. U Bein was the "mayor" at the time of the shift from Inwa and he wisely salvaged material from the deserted Inwa Palace to build this km long footbridge. It has stood the test of time for two centuries. De
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