Mandalay Myanmar (General Photos) cover page. |
Map of Myanmar with star indicating Mandalay. |
Monks at the famous 150 year old Mahagandayon Monastery and Buddhist learning center. |
A procession of 1,000 monks go to take their final meal of the day at noon. |
The Mahagandayon Monastery is located in Amarapura, the "City of Immortals," the former capital of Burma until 1850. |
A horse and buggy that was passing by the Mahagandayon Monastery. |
View of the U Bein wooden bridge, which is the longest wooden bridge in the world. |
Located in Amarapura, the U Bein Bridge is over 150 years old and is still in use today. |
Most of the people on the U Bein Bridge were tourists like me. |
A fisherman is sitting on the bridge patiently fishing in Taungthaman Lake. |
Some of the many ferry boats that are on Taungthaman Lake. |
A kid who sold necklaces took this picture of me. I didn't buy one but gave him a buck to get rid of him! |
This man is skillfully crossing his oars as he rows his boat. |
After the U Bein Bridge, I visited this plaster Buddha factory. |
Along the way, there were many souvenir shops and vendors anxious to make a sale. |
Our next stop was a workshop where the ancient art of silk and cotton weaving (using handlooms) is still practiced. |
This woman is rolling up spools of silk. |
Interior of the Mahamuni Pagoda, the most sacred shrine in Myanmar hosting the Mahamuni image (built by King Bodawpaya in 1784). |
Here I am applying gold leaf to the Buddha image in the Mahamuni Pagoda. |
View of me and others applying gold leaf and revering the Buddha. |
I am now leaving the platform after applying the gold leaf. |
Photos showing how the Buddha has changed over the years. It is now very misshapen due to the buildup of gold leaf. |
Nearby the the Mahamuni Pagoda, was this statue. You rub the body part that hurts, and you are supposed to feel better! |
View from the outside of the Mahamuni Pagoda. |
After applying gold leaf to the Buddha, our next stop was, appropriately, the gold leaf pounding factory. |
It takes 5 hours of pounding to flatten a chip of gold into a sheet of gold leaf. |
The pounders pounded to a rythym like they were playing percussion instruments. |
This gold leaf pounder worked up a real sweat. You have to be young and strong to do this job! |
View of the palace moat with Mandalay Fort and Mandalay Hill in the distance. |
A view across the moat of Mandalay Fort. |
View with the moat and Mandalay Hill in the background. |
Me posing with the moat behind me in Mandalay. |
View of the moat with Mandalay Hill in the distance. |
Red fence post with the moat and Mandalay Hill behind it. |
This is the only political sign that I saw in Myanmar. |
Wall along the palace moat in Mandalay. |
The entrance to Mandalay Palace (also known as the "Great Golden Royal Palace"). |
The palace is located within a high brick walled fort and is surrounded by the moat. |
The palace was built in 1857 to house King Mindon's family and to shift the capital from Amarapura. |
Statues (protected by plexiglass) of King Mindon and Queen Satkyardavi. |
Here I am befriending King Mindon at Mandalay Palace. |
Pathway leading into Mandalay Palace. That is my tour guide walking ahead of me. |
Nice spire at Mandalay Palace. The palace was originally built of teakwood, but has since been replaced by other materials. |
Watchtower that I climbed to get a good view of the grounds of Mandalay Palace. |
The view from the tower of Mandalay Palace. |
More views of Mandalay Palace as seen from the tower. |
From the tower, I could see that renovation was going on. |
This tower was being renovated. Note the ladders going up on each level. |
Buildings where princes, princesses and other royal family members once resided. |
There was an exhibition at Mandalay Palace. A guard scolded me for taking this photo (which was forbidden)! |
Entrance to the Kuthodaw Pagoda which is a large walled complex built by King Mindon (1860-1869). |
Monks and tourists passing through the entrance to the Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
Model under plexiglass of the layout of Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
The main stupa is set in the middle of a thirteen acre field of 729 pitaka pagodas or shrines. |
Me standing besides the field of 729 pitaka pagodas. |
Each shrine contains a marble slab, inscribed with the Pali script of a portion the Tipitaka (Buddhism’s sacred text). |
Taken together, they contain the entire text of the Tipitaka and are known as “the world’s largest book.” |
The main stupa of Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
The main stupa with a guardian lion sculpture in the foreground. |
Closeup of guardian lion sculpture with golden leaves above it. |
Another view of the golden stupa. |
Nice gate, sculptures and stairs at the stupa of Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
A Buddha image and flowers at the Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
Another beautiful Buddha image at the Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
The passageway (with tourists) as we left the Kuthodaw Pagoda. |
Steps leading up to the Atumashi Monastery which was originally built in 1857 by King Mindon. |
The building burned down in 1890 but was rebuilt in 1996 (according to the original plans). |
Decorated doors outside of the monastery. The monastery is made of stucco. |
A Buddha in the prayer hall of Atumashi Monastery. Note changing electric lights of the halo. |
The colors of the halo behind the Buddha keep changing. |
I was snapping about one picture per second to get these halo shots. |
The colors and design were everchanging. |
My final halo photo. |
A corner view of the outside of Atumashi Monastery. |
The building reflected on the walkway. |
View of the gates of Atumashi Monastery. |
The white gate was enveloped by the clouds behind it. |
Sign for the Golden Palace Monastery which was originally part of the royal palace at Amarapura and later moved to Mandalay. |
In the 19th century when it was built, it was completely covered in gold leaf and glass mosaics. |
The glass mosaics have disappeared and what is left is the weathered teak of which it was originally built. |
It is perhaps the only surviving example of 19th century Myanmar teak architecture. |
A very old bell that I saw at the Golden Palace Monastery. |
Detail of some of the teakwood carvings at the Golden Palace Monastery. |
During the 19th century, this wood was probably covered with gold leaf. |
These lion sculptures are found at the base of Mandalay Hill. |
Closeup of one of the lion sculptures. |
The lion sculptures and the steps form the portal to Mandalay Hill. |
Closeup ot the steps. |
This pagoda is at the top of Mandalay Hill. |
Another Mandalay Hill pagoda shot. Notice how it glistens in the sun. |
View of the Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel (where I stayed) from Mandalay Hill. |
It was dusk and getting dark. The pagoda looked beautiful in the evening light. |
Another shot of the pagoda at dusk. |
The sun was going down as we were waiting for the sunset. |
The golden stupa of the pogoda as it reflected in the evening light. |
Some of the exquisite furnishings that can be found in the pagoda. |
An interesting shrine at the pagoda. |
A Buddha statue found at the pagoda on Mandalay Hill. |
Closeup of the Buddha statue. |
Statue with an electric halo of multiple colors. The walls are beautiful, too. |
Closeup of the statue and electric halo. |
Statue based on a legend that the Hill was inhabited by an ogress, and as an offering to Buddha, she cut off her breasts. |
View of the sunset at Mandalay Hill. |
Tourists (like me) flock to Mandalay to see this spectacular sunset. |