The white waves of Mingun’s Hsinbyume Pagoda near Mandalay
Mingun by Boat, Mandalay City Workshops & U Bein Bridge Sunset
Personalise your Mandalay and Mingun day tour for your perfect Myanmar holiday! Our experienced local guides bring you to the most significant sites of the Mandalay, the last royal capital city of Myanmar. From the astonishing scale of the temples of Mingun and the Mingun Bell to the fascinating family-own artisanal workshops of Mandalay, this tour covers the most iconic and color sites in Mandalay. Round out the day with an amazing sunset at U Bein Bridge and your Mandalay-Mingun day tour is complete!
Mandalay and Mingun Day Tour Highlights
Early boat to Mingun for best light and avoid crowds
Mingun Pagoda (also Mingun Pahtodawgyi or Mingun Paya), had it been finished, would have measured a whopping 150 m. This height would have made it the largest pagoda in the world. But after construction began in 1790, astronomers foretold King Bodawpaya that the kingdom would end if it were ever completed. So construction was abandoned when the project had reached a third of the intended size. Some say, this, at least, secures Mingun Paya the title of “largest pile of bricks in the World.”
The Mingun Bell weighs 90 tons and for a long time was the largest suspended bell in the World (the “Bell of Good Luck” in Henan, China, surpassed it in 2000).
Hsinbyume Pagoda
Hsinbyume Pagoda Built by Bagyidaw in 1816, it is commemorates his favorite consort, Hsinbyume (Lady of the White Elephant), who died in childbirth. The crisp white waves leading up to a platform are modelled after descriptions of mythical Sulamani Pagoda on Mount Meru, part of Buddhist cosmology inherited from the Hindu tradition. The seven concentric terraces represent the mountain ranges leading to Mount Meru itself. In this way pilgrims can ascend from earth into the heavens. Truly a remarkable sight not to be missed when visiting Mandalay!
Check out some of our recent Bagan tour photos! Our local and international guides are always keen to explore the fantastic light of the newly-listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
