subject: Travel to Myanmar - Myanmar cities and attractions [print this page] Travel to Myanmar - Myanmar cities and attractions
As the countries of Indochina modernise, much of the traditional architecture disappears to be replaced by tower blocks and skyscrapers. Myanmar is different. This is a land that time forgot and it remains in many ways the most Asian of the Southeast Asian countries.
Yangon, largest city and the most important commercial centre, known to the British colonisers as Rangoon, still looks like a colonial city decaying colonial buildings line the downtown streets. Overlooking the city is the Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Golden Pagoda. This 98-metre gilded stupa is Myanmar's most holy site and is said to hold the relics of four Buddhas, including eight hairs of Gautama, the original Buddha. The pagoda is covered in eight thousand gold plates and crowned with more than five thousand diamonds and other precious stones. Devout Buddhist believers will make pilgrimages to the Pagoda to offer gifts and money. The pagoda lies to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on Singuttara Hill.
In downtown Yangon is Sule Pagoda, another important Buddhist site. Legend says that the pagoda is over 2,500 years old, though in fact none of it is much over 100 years old. It lies at the heart of the city. In fact, the city was planned by the British around the pagoda. Yangon is also home to St. Mary's Cathedral, built in the 1890s and the largest Catholic cathedral in Burma.
Myanmar's second city, Mandalay lies in central Myanmar.on the Irrawaddy River. Mandalay was the last royal capital and is still considered to be the centre of Myanmar culture. Sitting at the foot of Mandalay Hill, home to many religious sites, the city is full of attractions. Unfortunately the magnificent Mandalay Palace was destroyed in World War II, but the palace walls and city gates remain, giving a sense of it once was.
The city is home to several pagodas and monasteries. Among these is Kuthodaw Pagoda which is surrounded by 729 upright stone slabs on which are inscribed the entire Buddhist scriptures. For this reason it is popularly known as "the World's Biggest Book". Most important in Mandalay is the Maha Muni Pagoda. This contains a 3.8 m high image of the Buddha. The early morning ritual of washing the Face of Buddha Image draws a large crowd of devotees everyday.
Some 20 miles to the north of Mandalay is Amarapura town where can be found the beautiful, photogenic U Bein's Bridge a 1.2 km wooden footbridge the longest teak bridge in the world. The surrounding area has many pagodas and temples of interest.
On Myanmar's west coast lies the seaport city of Thandwe. The city itself is nothing special, but the main attraction here is Ngapali Beach, 7 km from the city. This unspoilt 3 km long beach is the best in all of Myanmar and unlike so many beaches in S.E. Asia, it remains relatively quiet.
Perhaps the most astonishing and not to missed attraction in Myanmar is the ancient city of Bagan. Covering an area of 16 square miles, Bagan was built between 1000 and 1200 AD. The city has over temples and pagodas making it one of the world's largest religious sites on a scale only matched by Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The city was the ancient capital of Myanmar and the ruins of the ancient royal palace can still be seen.
These are but a few of the many destinations and attractions on offer in when you travel to Myanmar. You can visit Indochina Odyssey Tours to get more information.
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