The U Min Thonze Pagoda in Sagaing. 45 Buddha images sit in a semi-circle within the pagoda, basking in a soft light.

Sagaing, Inwa (Ava) and Amarapura are three ancient capitals of Burma located in the vicinity of Mandalay. The Burmese view Sagaing as a “foothill” of the mystical Mount Meru, and consider it to be the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Burma today. As you approach Sagaing from Mandalay, you will see endless number of white-washed pagodas, temples, stupas and monasteries dotting the hills of Sagaing overlooking the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river, and some 5,000 monks live in this arcadian landscape.