BAGO DIVISION:Bago Division is the second
biggest producer of paddy after Ayeyarwaddy
division. It is bordered by Magway Division and
Mandalay Division to the north; Kayin State, Mon
State and the Gulf of Martaban to the east; Yangon
Division to the south and Ayeyawardy Division and
Rakhine State to the west. Highlights are Bago,
Taungoo and the ruins of the ancient Pyu kingdom
near Pyay How to get there:
Bago and Pyay are easily accessible by rail or by
car. It is only a 2 hours drive from Yangon to Bago
and a 5 hours drive on a very good road to Pyay.
Bago:
Used to be the ancient capital of the Mon Kings from
the 14th through the 16th century and that of the
Second Myanmar Empire founded by King Bayinnaung.
Bago is situated only 80 km north-east of Yangon.
What to see:
The Shwe-Maw-Daw Pagoda:
Was originally built by the Mon to a height to 23 meters
in the 8th century and was rebuilt higher several times
until it finally reached its present 114 meter stature
in 1954. Visitors can see in the Pagoda Museum a number
of ancient Buddha images of stone and bronze found in
the damaged top part of the pagoda after the
earthquakes. |
 |
|
Shwe-Tha-Lyaung:
Is the large reclining image of the Buddha, 180 feet in
length and 52.5 feet in height. This is one of the
largest reclining Buddha images in the world.
Traditionally believed to have been built by King
Migadipa in AD 944. It was restored by Ramadhipatiraja
(1472-1492) but later 'lost'. Rediscovered 1880 and
restored again several times to bring it to this
condition. |
Shwe-Tha-Lyaung |
Hinthakone Pagoda:
Tradition has it that Hinthakone is the hill where the
two sacred mythical ducks called nintha (Hamsa)
alighted, when only the very top of the hill was above
the ocean. The name Hantha-wadi or Hamsavati by which
Bago and her kingdom were known, originated from this
name. It has good views over Bago from the hilltop. |
View from Hinthakone Pagoda |
The Hanthawadi Palace:
Kanbawza Thadi, the famous palace of King Bayinnaung
(1551-1581 A.D.) is being extensively excavated and some
buildings are being rebuilt. King Bayinnaung was the
founder of the Second Myanmar Empire, which stretched
from the borders of India to parts of Thailand and Laos.
In 1566 A.D. he built a new capital city called
Hanthawadi on what is now Bago. To the south of the
Shwe-Maw-Daw Pagoda he built a grand palace, which he
named Kanbawza Thadi.There is also an interesting archaeological museum on
the excavation site. |
Hanthawadi Palace |
Kyaik Pun Pagoda:
Was built by King Dhamma Zedi in 1476 A.D. The pagoda ss
in the form of four gigantic Buddha images all in
sitting posture facing the four cardinal points of the
compass. They are seated back to back against a massive
brick pillar. This unusual and impressive pagoda is only
a few hundred feet of the Yangon – Bago road.
|
Kyaik Pun Pagoda |
Moyingy Wetlands & Resort:
Only 2 ½ hours from Yangon is a paradise for bird
watchers. The best season to visit is from November to
March. The 100 square kilometers wetlands is host to 75
species of elusive migratory and resident water birds
including: Little Cormorant, Grey and Purple Herons,
Indian Pond-Heron, Asian Openbill, Black-headed Ibis,
Garganey, Lesser Whistling duck, Pied Harrier, Western
and Eastern Marsh-Harriers, Purple Swamp hen,
Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Oriental
Pratincole, Whiskered Tern, Striated Grass bird,
Oriental Reed-Warbler, Zitting Cist cola, etc. We might
see an Oriental Darter, Spot-billed Pelican, Cinnamon
Bittern, Painted Stork, Wooly-necked Stork, Lesser
Adjutant, Pallas's Fish-Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle,
Sarus Crane, Watercock, Black-winged Stilt or Asian
Golden Weaver. The Resort offers simple, but clean rooms
with air-con and attached bathroom.
|
Taungoo:
Located 175 miles from Yangon and is the only place for
the tourists where you can get good accommodation on
Yangon-Mandalay road. Taungoo (Kaytumadi City) was
founded by King Mingyinyo in 1510 A.D and later
innovated by King Minye Kyawhtin. All the four sides of
the city wall are still very conspicuously seen, with
the exception of the part of the southern wall. The wall
is built of bricks. The moat surrounding the city is
dried up, except in some of its sections on the eastern
side, where it is purposely kept and properly
maintained. About 6.4 m from the wall city is the first
moat filled with soft mud, which is about 9.6 m wide. It
is one of the main gateways to Bago Yoma and its teak
forests and is worth exploring. It derives much of its
importance these days from the timber trade and the teak
forests on which its economy depends visibly seen on the
mountain ranges lying to the east and west of the town
beckon visitor. Even its ancient empire has long since
crumbled; Taungoo remains an important pilgrimage site
for Buddhist devotees who flock regularly to Shwesandaw
pagoda.
Taungoo is also a good starting point to visit one of
the Elephant Camps towards the Bago Yoma, which means
Bago mountain ranges. It is the home of the best teak,
and the topography of Bago Yoma is a place of genuine
beauty.
|
Elephant Trekking |
Pyay:
Once was called Prome after the British occupied Myanmar
is located 285 km north-west of Yangon. Pyay is easily
accessible by road or rail and a gateway city to Rakhine
State, across the Ayeyawaddy River. It is a major
trading zone where all the products from Rakhine State
and middle part of the country trade in and exchange
with those come from the lower part of the country.
Today Pyay is a sleepy town with a small river harbour
which serves as a transshipment point for cargo moving
between Upper and Lower Myanmar along the Ayeyarwaddy
River.
|
Sehtatgyi Pagoda |
What to see:
Thayekhittaya (Srikestra):
An ancient capital of Pyu Kingdom which flourished
between 5th to 9th century known as Thayekhittaya (Sriksetra).
The ruins are hidden behind thickness of thorny bushes,
small trees, toddy palms, cactus and beautiful white
flowers. The ruins are such as Patagyi Pagoda, Payama
Pagoda, Bawbawgyi Pagoda & Bebe Pagoda, which are
supposed to be built between 4th to 9th century. The
small museum has a collection of artifacts collected
from the excavations, including royal funerary urns,
stone relieves, a couple of Bodhisattavas, a Dvrapala
(great guardian), statues of the Hindu deities Tara Devi,
Vishnu & Lakshmi, several 6th century Buddha images,
tile fragments, terracotta votive tablets and silver
coins minted in the kingdom.
|
Bawbawgyi Pagoda |
Akauk Hill:
On the other side of Pyay across the Ayeyarwaddy river,
there lies Akauk Taung hill ranges. In the 19th century,
because of the British annexation over Lower Myanmar,
the country was split into Upper (ruled by Myanmar King)
and Lower (ruled by British). The river was the major
transportation for trading between two parts and it was
the place where all the boats stopped and were checked
for trading taxes. Thus the place was named after taxes,
in Myanmar called “taxes”. The hills are full of Buddha
Images, which are believed to be done by the traders
when they stopped for a while. We can find various
fossils of cold-blooded animals, such as snails, fishes
especially inhabited in the ocean.
|
Akauk Hill |
Shwetaung:
Is a small town located about 270 km north-west of
Yangon and only 15 km away from Pyay. It was once a part
of Thayekhittaya (Sriksetra) Kingdom. It lies between
Yangon-Pyay Highway and the mighty Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy)
River. Shwetaung has two famous pagodas. The
Shwemyettman Pagoda, “Pagoda of Golden Spectacles” and
the second is Shwenattaung Pagoda, “Pagoda of Golden
Spirit Mountain.” |
Shwemyettman Pagoda |
|
