Mingun မင်းကွန်းမြို့

Mingun salesgirls fast approaching	Bullock cart, the "taxi" of Mingun	Burmese girl selling old banknotes and coins	Hut of woven palm with a reddish color, Mingun
Inexpensive folding sun hat	Big tree, Mingun	Big tree on the waterfront in Mingun	Monastery gate, Mingun
Pandaw Paya - architect's model of Mingun Paya as envisioned by King Bodawpaya in 1790	The stupa, had it been completed, was to be 150m high, taller than the Great Pyramid (146.5m)	Settawya Paya's five-level terrace, Mingun	Circular walk of the Monuments of Mingun
Art shop in Mingun	Dennis in Mingun	"Main Street" Mingun	German school (Schule) sponsored by Förderverein Myanmar
Handmade Burmese puppets in a shop in Mingun	Mingun Paya - constructed 1790-1819	Mingun Paya - this is only the base of the pagoda, about 50m high	If completed, Mingun Paya was to be 150m high
Construction of Mingun Paya ceased with the death of its sponsor, King Bodawpaya	Pillar in front of Mingun Paya	Mingun Paya	Dennis had a very positive attitude with the souvenir sellers and had fun interacting with them
Entrance to Mingun Paya	Sitting on a ruined capstone, Mingun Paya	Bullock cart, Mingun	The haunches of a massive guardian lion (chinthe) in front of Mingun Paya
I don't know if the chinthes of Mingun Paya were ever complete, but they were probably victims of the 1838 earthquake as well	Giant brick chinthe with some remnants of the original plaster covering, Mingun	Ruins of the monumental guardian lions forming the gateway to Mingun Paya	Ruins of the Chinthe (guardian lions) in front of Mingun Paya
Irrawaddy River from the Chinthes of Mingun Paya	Good-natured souvenir sellers at Mingun	Bullock Cart on Main Street, Mingun	Mingun Paya's river-facing eastern face
Grand entrance to Mingun Paya	There is only a small chapel inside this massive doorway	Chapel inside Mingun Paya	Chapel inside Mingun Paya
I'm all for respecting religion but it's pretty stupid (and dangerous) to have to take off your shoes to climb a crumbling ruin	Hsinbyume Paya seen from Mingun Paya	Molmi Paya and Hsinbyume Paya rising above the trees	Climbing Mingun Paya (barefoot!)
Great view of Mingun and the Irrawaddy River make the climb worthwhile	Come on, the thing was never even finished and is a scrub covered tilting ruin...how could wearing shoes here be disrespectful?	Hsinbyume Paya, 1816, Mingun	Malmi Paya and the pavilion of the Mingun Bell
On top of Mingun Paya high above the Irrawaddy River	Panoramic view of the Irrawaddy River from the top of Mingun Paya	Myatheindan Pagoda northwest of Mingun Paya	Damage to Mingun Paya from the 1838 earthquake
You have to climb that ... barefoot! Mingun Paya	Northwest corner of Mingun Paya	Settawya Paya and the Irrawaddy River from Mingun Paya	Panoramic view from the top of Mingun Paya
The village of Mingun	With more time, it would be worth climbing up to the top of Mingun Hill	Summit of Mingun Paya	Molmi Paya, Mingun
Ruins of the colossal guardian lions (chinthe) from Mingun Paya	This does not look like somewhere safe to walk around barefoot - religion sometimes needs a good dose of common sense	View north from the summit of Mingun Paya	The local boys that hang out on top of Mingun Paya should be put to work with brooms and clean up the litter
Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun, 1816	Barge loaded with timber logs coming down the Irrawaddy River	Descending Mingun Paya barefoot	Descending Mingun Paya
Ruins of Mingun Paya	Damage from the 1838 earthquake, Mingun Paya	Myanmar has excellent handicrafts, better than Thailand	Shopping in Mingun
Souvenirs, Mingun	Heard a good story about a man in Bagan - his job - "I make antiques"	The main street of Mingun has lots of art galleries	Art gallery, Mingun
Mingun is a good place to browse Burmese art	Various compositions of monks with umbrellas, Mingun	Burmese painting, Mingun	Hill tribe warrior, Myanmar
Burmese art, Mingun	Molmi Paya, Mingun	Mingun Taxi	Traffic in downtown Mingun
Bullock Cart, Mingun	History of the Mingun Bell	Mingun Bell - cast in 1808 by King Bodawpaya for the Mingun Pagoda	Inside the 90 ton Mingun Bell
Mingun Bell, said to be the second largest bell in the world	Dennis ringing the Mingun Bell	Detail of the Mingun Bell	Mingun Bell detail
Mingun Bell - 16ft 3in diameter	Pavilion of the Mingun Bell	Mingun Bell Pavilion	Mandalay 0238.jpg
Figure on a pillar, Mingun	The "wai" greeting	Small stilt house, Mingun	Entrance to Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun
Hsinbyume Paya, a pagoda built to represent the Buddhist cosmos	Hsinbyume Paya, built in 1816	Hsinbyume Paya - the summit represents Mt Meru	Stairs leading up through 7 levels
Hsinbyume Paya	The seven terraces represent mountain ranges and oceans around Mt. Meru	Hsinbyume Paya	Panoramic view of Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun
Panoramic view of Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Statue in a niche, Hsinbyume Paya	The wavy forms represent mountain ranges separated by oceans
The stupa represents Mt. Meru	Mt Meru is the sacred mountain at the center of Buddhist cosmology	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Seemingly discarded statues around Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun
Statues missing from their niches	Climbing to Mt Meru	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	The stupa of Hsinbyume Paya
Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	The central stupa of Hsinbyume Paya respresents Mount Meru, the center of Buddhist cosmology	Staircase leading into the central stupa
View from the top of Hsinbyume Paya	Mingun Paya from Hsinbyume Paya	Terrace of Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun
Inside Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Central Buddha image, Hsinbyume Paya	Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Temple offering box - this is why it is impossible to get change in Myanmar
Hsinbyume Paya, Mingun	Guardian lion, Mingun	Bullock Cart, Mingun	Old Folks Home, Mingun Buddhist Imfirmary
The Mingun Buddhist Imfirmary	Mingun Buddhist Imfirmary	xxxx