I had recently purchased a book titled The Travels of Marco Polo(1), in which he describes travelling from Peking to Bengal. In the late 1200’s Marco Polo, an emissary of the great Kublai Khan, travelled through the province of Mien (Burma) and described the sights. So impressed was Marco upon seeing some of the buildings, he wrote: “I assure you that the towers were the fairest to be seen in all the world and were of incalculable value”
I travelled through Myanmar (Burma) in 2015. The major city in Myanmar is Yangon (Rangoon) where I visited the Royal Barge Restaurant and the massive Shwedagon Pagoda. The Royal Barge Restaurant is not an ancient relic. The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the holiest sites for Buddhists, said to hold 8 hairs of the Buddha and other relics. The Pagoda is covered with hundreds of kilos of gold, over 4000 gold bells, 83,850 jewels and the Vane and Orb at the very top weigh more than 500 kilos of gold, encrusted with jewels including 4000 diamonds with a massive 1,800 carat diamond right at the top!
I travelled through Myanmar (Burma) in 2015. The major city in Myanmar is Yangon (Rangoon) where I visited the Royal Barge Restaurant and the massive Shwedagon Pagoda. The Royal Barge Restaurant is not an ancient relic. The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the holiest sites for Buddhists, said to hold 8 hairs of the Buddha and other relics. The Pagoda is covered with hundreds of kilos of gold, over 4000 gold bells, 83,850 jewels and the Vane and Orb at the very top weigh more than 500 kilos of gold, encrusted with jewels including 4000 diamonds with a massive 1,800 carat diamond right at the top!
MANDALAY & MINGUN
In Mandalay I stopped at the Kuthodaw and Sanda Muni Pagodas to see the world’s largest book – The Tripitaka - written back and front on slabs of marble, each housed in a little temple. I caught a boat to Mingun along the Ayeyarwady River. Ruins of two huge lions stand in front of the Mingun Paya. Lions were once common in Asian countries including China and Burm. It was fantastic to climb the largest stupa in the world – The Mingun Paya (also the largest pile of bricks in the world) and climb to the very top. This Stupa was partially destroyed in a earthquake. Next to this was housed the largest working bell in the world - The Mingun Bell.
Lions were once common in Asian countries including China and Burma and were reveared along with Dragons:
Lions were once common in Asian countries including China and Burma and were reveared along with Dragons:
BAGAN
I spent several days in Nyaung-U, Old Bagan, and New Bagan. I wandered around ruined temples, with squirrels on top, darting after each other. There were also many snake skins around. I was hoping to see a Cobra. I paid a visit to the oldest pagoda in Bagan, the Bupaya (2nd Century AD), by the banks of the Ayeyarwady river. The panoramic highlight of this journey was to watch the hot air balloons rise from the sunrise mist above the temples of Bagan.
References
1. The Travels of Marco Polo, Roland Latham translation, Penguin Books, London England, published 1958, p.300.
2. While in a mall in Yangon, near Scott Markets, I found a fantastic booklet for sale in an isle bookshop, titled: "Pictorial Guide To Pagan". Bagan was formerly known as Pagan. The booklet is filled with temple names, photos and descriptions. I recommend it as a guide for traversing the many temples of Bagan - Price K., Pictorial Guide To Pagan, First Published in 1955, Reprint 1979, The Printing and Publishing Corporation, Rangoon, Burma.
1. The Travels of Marco Polo, Roland Latham translation, Penguin Books, London England, published 1958, p.300.
2. While in a mall in Yangon, near Scott Markets, I found a fantastic booklet for sale in an isle bookshop, titled: "Pictorial Guide To Pagan". Bagan was formerly known as Pagan. The booklet is filled with temple names, photos and descriptions. I recommend it as a guide for traversing the many temples of Bagan - Price K., Pictorial Guide To Pagan, First Published in 1955, Reprint 1979, The Printing and Publishing Corporation, Rangoon, Burma.
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