Bagan is known for having the richest Buddhist architectural relics in the world, and its historical value is as famous as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur Pagoda in Indonesia.
Bagan attractions guide
Bagan is known as the "City of Thousand Towers". It is impossible to talk about every attraction. Here are some highlights that should not be missed:
a. Ananda Temple
- Ananda Temple is the center of the core scenic area of Bagan;
- It is fairly beautiful, but it is obviously newly decorated by modern people;
- The Buddha statues in the temple are also newly created;
- A small commodity market and a catering market are formed around the temple;
- A large number of taxis, tutu vehicles and motorcycles are waiting for employers to come and inquire here;
- To sum up, don't believe the pictures that have been uploaded on the Internet. You have to come and see the real Bagan with your own eyes.
Ananda Temple
Ananda Temple is located on the east side of the ancient city wall of Old Bagan. The name of the temple comes from Venerable Ananda, the first disciple of the Buddha. It is the first large temple in Bagan and the most elegant and beautiful Buddhist building so far. It was built in the middle of the Bagan dynasty. The Mon style architecture also has a North Indian style, reflecting the evolution of the early temples in Bagan to the middle. process. There is a standing Buddha in each of the four directions in the temple, with a height of 9.5 meters, which is widely regarded as the most majestic and beautiful Buddha statue in Bagan. Among them, the north and south two statues are left over from the original, while the east and west statues were damaged by fire and were rebuilt in the 18th century. The big Buddha in the south is the most amazing. When you look at the Buddha statue from a distance, the big Buddha smiles very kindly, but when you walk to the feet of the big Buddha and raise your head, the Dhamma becomes very solemn and makes people kneel and worship involuntarily.
b. Ruixi Palace Tower Shwezigon
- A large temple closest to Liangwu, magnificent and full of incense;
- Although the temple was built more than 900 years ago, there are not many ancient ruins left;
- This temple has a special project: the reflection of the pagoda, which is to shoot the reflection of the pagoda in front of a small puddle with a large bowl in front of the pagoda. It is said that it is also a way of praying.
Ruixi Palace Tower
Ruixi Palace Pagoda is the founding pagoda. It is the prototype of Myanmar's modern pagoda. It is one of the four most famous pagodas in Myanmar. It is not only the largest pagoda in Bagan, but also the only stone-built pagoda in Bagan. The pagoda, with a long history, is the first Burmese-style pagoda. The Ruixi Palace Pagoda is a tetragonal symmetrical structure with a bell-shaped solid golden pagoda in the center. The shape is based on a three-story square platform, and an octagonal platform is connected to the bell-shaped tower. This form became the Bagan Plain. Many stupa architectural templates. The tower is surrounded by an open-air walkway, there are countless small towers and pavilions, the walkway is surrounded by a circle of temple halls, with four doors and a long corridor of more than 100 meters as the entrance and exit. The Ruixi Palace tower is more than 40 meters high and is surrounded by 53 tall sculptures, including lion sculptures, mogala sculptures (an animal shaped like a crocodile) and toad sculptures. There is a bronze pavilion on each side of the pagoda, and there is a beautiful standing Buddha in each pavilion.
c. Bagan Archaeological Museum
- The architectural style of the museum is antique and impressive;
- There are more than a dozen exhibition halls, divided into upper and lower floors, involving ancient characters, stone carvings, brick carvings, pottery, bronzes, handicrafts, statues of Buddha, jewelry, paintings, etc.;
- Tickets are 5000 kyats, which is about ￥25, and the whole journey should be at least 1-2 hours.
Bagan Archaeological Museum
In 1904, the first archeological museum in Myanmar was established on the north side of Ananda Temple. The current museum was officially opened on April 17, 1998. The museum has three floors. The first and second floors are currently open, divided into permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions.
d. Popa Mountain
- Another tour item in Bagan is the Poba Mountain half-day tour. Generally, you will find a hotel and inn to book a shared taxi and share the car with travel friends from various countries;
- The driving time is about 1 hour, and the playing time is about 1.5 hours;
- "Popa" means flower in Burmese, which is probably a hill that blooms like a flower from a distance;
- The hill is not high, and there are vendors and small temples along the way;
- The most important thing to watch out for is the monkeys, which will attack humans, so take good care of your belongings;
- Free climbing tours, no tickets.
