Top 6 Tourist Attractions in Bagan
Bagan is the city with the most pagodas in the world. There are currently more than 2,000 pagodas in Bagan. It is known as the capital of pagodas. Bagan is divided into three areas: New Bagan, Old Bagan and Nyaung-U Town. Most of the Buddhist pagodas are concentrated in the Old Bagan, which is the main tourist area of Bagan. Where to visit when traveling to Bagan? Which are top tourist attractions in Bagan? Shwezigon Pagoda, Htilominlo Temple, Gubyaukgyi Temple, Myinkaba Village, Thatbyinnyu Temple and Dhammayangyi Temple are places worth visiting in Bagan.
No.1 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Shwezigon Pagoda
Where to visit in Bagan? Shwezigon Pagoda could be your first destination. The Shwezigon Pagoda is the oldest temple in Bagan on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River. It is also the only pagoda built in stone in Bagan and is listed as the four sacred pagodas in Myanmar along with the Shwedagon Pagoda. The pagoda was built during the period of two kings: Anawrahta (1044-1077) and Kyansittha (1084-1113). It was the founding pagoda of the Bagan dynasty and a typical representative of early architecture of Bagan.
No.2 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Htilominlo Pagoda
Htilominlo Temple was built in 1218 by King Htilominlo (1211-1234). It is the last temple in Burmese style with a history of more than 700 years in Bagan. It is said to be the youngest ancient temple in Bagan. The Htilominlo Temple is 46 meters high and 43 meters long. Its architectural form is similar to Sulamani Pahto. The temple consists of 2 large cubes stacked. A huge spire is on these 2 cubes. Four-faced Buddhas facing 4 corresponding entrances are on the main part of the temple. In addition, there are traces of murals in the temple.
No.3 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Gubyaukgyi Pagoda
Gubyaukgyi Temple is located in south of Bagan. It is a Buddhist temple built in 1113 AD by Prince Yazakumar. The style of the temple includes both Mon and Indian elements. There is a well-preserved ancient monument next to the golden pagoda, which depicts the construction of the ancient temple in Indian style. It contains more than 500 well-preserved frescoes telling the legend of the Mon. Gubyaukgyi Temple is not only an independent pagoda. It forms a group of pagodas with many large and small pagodas around it.
No.4 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Myinkaba Village
In addition to Shwezigon Pagoda, Htilominlo Temple and Gubyaukgyi Temple. There is another popular tourist attraction in Bagan - Myinkaba Village. It is located between New Bagan and Old Bagan and is about 1 km from Old Bagan. It is a famous village producing lacquerwares. There are many famous Buddhist buildings including Manuha Temple, Gu Byauk Gyi, Mya Zedi, Nan Paya, etc. Bamboo trees can be seen everywhere in this village. In Myanmar, bamboo is the main material for many villages and shops in the city. The most familiar of the village is the unique lacquerwares in Mon style. So if you visit this village, don’t forget to buy a few pieces of lacquerwares.
No.5 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Thatbyinnyu Temple
The pagoda is located less than 800 meters southwest of Ananda Temple and was built by King Alaungsithu in the 12th century. It is also known as the "Two Pagodas of Bagan" with Ananda Temple. The pagoda is divided into 5 floors. The first and second floor were once the residence of the monks. The third floor is the space for meditation. The fourth floor is the library. As the second largest Buddhist pagoda in Bagan, there is a huge statue in bricks in the pagoda. There are Pali stone carvings on the wall of pagoda. It used to be the best place to watch the sunrise and sunset. But now to protect the building, visitors can no longer go up to the pagoda. Visitors can only visit the pagoda in the first floor.
No.6 Tourist attraction in Bagan - Dhammayangyi Temple
Dhammayangyi Temple was built in 1170 by the king of Narathu (Narathu, 1167-1170). The base of the pagoda is square. The pagoda is 90 meters long and 48.8 meters high. There is a passage to the top of the pagoda. It is the most majestic pagoda in Bagan. It can be seen anywhere in Bagan and is the representative of pagodas in bricks. It is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. However, because the king was assassinated when the construction of pagoda was not finished, the top of the pagoda has not been built yet. Because there is no top of pagoda, it is different from many other pagodas of Bagan in appearance. Seen from a distance, it resembles the pyramids of Egypt.
