Kothaung Pagoda

AMONG the green hills of the Rakhine Yoma mountain range, about 70 kilometres away from the Rakhine State capital of Sittwe, lies an ancient city that was once the centre of a powerful dynasty.

The city is commonly called Mrauk U but is often referred to as Myo-Haung (old city) by locals.

Ancient chronicles claim that the Rakhine founded their first kingdom thousands of years ago and went through 16 dynasties and kingdoms before Mrauk U was built by King Minsawmon in 1430 CE.

The king was a descendent of the former dynasties, and the city he created was the centre of Rakhine until the state became part of the Bamar kingdoms based in the Mandalay area in 1784.

Modern historians do not readily accept accounts of Rakhine dynasties going back thousands of years, claims that have not been borne out by archaeological evidence gathered at ancient sites.

However, the old pagodas and buildings that remain in Mrauk U, as well as textual evidence provided by the writings of foreign merchants and missionaries of the 17th century, point to the city’s glorious history.

Among the chroniclers was Friar Sebastien Manrique, a Portuguese Augustinian missionary who visited the region during the 1600s. In mid-century he published book in which he wrote of witnessing the 1635 coronation ceremony of King Thiri Thudhamma. He was surprised, he said, by the large amounts of precious stones – diamonds, rubies and sapphires – being sold at the local market.

Mrauk U is now labeled an ancient cultural zone by the Myanmar government, and has become an alternative to Bagan for tourists looking for a quieter, more remote set of ruins to explore.

Although the city has fewer pagodas than Bagan, some Rakhine people believe that large numbers of structures are buried beneath the earth and vegetation and need to excavated. Some pagodas are believed to have already disappeared due to lack of preservation and care.

“There are about 60 ancient pagodas throughout the city but they are not like the ones in Bagan. The city feels more like a fortress than a collection of pagodas,” said Ma Soe Soe, a Yangon-based tourist guide who leads trips to Mrauk U.

She said tourists are most interested in the Shitthaung, Kothaung and Dukkanthein pagodas, but look displeased when they see new renovations occurring.

Shitthaung Pagoda was built in 1535 by King Minbargyi, also known as King Minbin. Ancient chronicles state that he built it after scoring a great victory during a defensive war against the Portuguese.

As others in Mrauk U, the pagoda is distinguished from those in Bagan by the fact that it was built with astonishing skill out of sandstone rather than brick and mortar.

“That is why our pagodas still exist. If the builders had used brick and mortar instead of sandstone, the heavy rainfall of our region would have destroyed them all long ago,” said a local resident.

“But even now, the fascinating artwork of some of the pagodas like Kothaung are on the brink of disappearing because it cannot be adequately maintained,” the resident said.

Excavation work on Kothaung Pagoda was started by the government in 1997, before which time it was hidden by the earth.

When it was uncovered, the pagoda appeared to be in poor repair. According to legend, the building was toppled by lightning to punish King Mintaikkha, the son of King Minbargyi, who built Kothaung (meaning 90,000) to house 10,000 more Buddha images than Shitthaung (80,000) to indicate that he was a more powerful king than his father.

Shitthaung Pagoda

About 100 metres northwest of Shitthaung Pagoda lies Dukkanthein Pagoda. It was built by King Minphalaung in 1571. It is well-known for its vaulted passages that are lined with sculptured figures of seated ladies, who look like they are offering lotus buds to the Buddha.

Despite its grandeur, Mrauk U does not yet rival Bagan as a tourist destination.

“The number of foreign visitors to Mrauk U is low compared to Bagan, still in the five-digit-a-year range,” said Daw Yin Saw, the managing director of Vesali Resort Hotel in Mrauk U.

“Besides the ancient pagodas, foreign tourists like the city because its geography is hilly and the trip there is a little adventurous,” she said.

“Visitors must travel to Sittwe by flight, and from there take a boat to Mrauk U,” she said.

In addition to the inconvenience of the trip, another deterrent to visitation is the region’s heavy rainfall.

“Mrauk U gets between 200 and 400 inches of rainfall a year, so most people come during the tourist season – October to April – when flight schedules are regular,” Daw Yin Saw said.

A good time to visit is April, during the Shitthaung and Dukkanthein pagoda festival, when traditional Rakhine rowing and wrestling competitions are held.

Among the other area attractions are boat rides from Mrauk U to Chin villages, where visitors can see the traditional facial tattoos sported by the women.

For the 2004-2005 high season Air Mandalay plans to offer direct flights between Yangon and Sittwe five days a week (except Thursday and Sunday).

“Travellers can hire small ship to get to Mrauk U to Sittwe, a trip that takes about six hours,” Ma Soe Soe said.

“Tour companies can arrange package tours to Mrauk U for about US$500,” she said.