Yangon

Yangon

Shwedagon Pagoda

Then King Banya U (AD 1353-1385) and his descendents reconstructed and enlarged it and raised it still higher. Queen Shin Saw Pu, the grand daughter of Banya U, had the pagoda enlarged and raised. She was the first Queen who donated and gilded the pagoda with gold equal to her weight. Her heir and son-in-law King Dhammazedi also continued to donate gold equal to his weight and that of his queen. He cast a huge bell 8 cubits in width at the mouth and 12 cubits in height. It was placed in a hall at the southern entrance of the pagoda.This huge bell was stolen by Filipe de Brittoe Nicote, a Portuguese merchant who later conquered Thanlyin.

He intended to melt it down and cast it into cannons. He was unable to achieve his plan, as the bell was lost in the Yangon River . Later Myanmar artisans claimed the bell and placed at the Shwedagon. Numerous Myanmar kings also made major developments to the pagoda and the surrounds, installing new Htis (Glorious Crown), gilding the pagoda and building rest houses and prayer halls.

Maha Wi Zaya Pagoda

This was built in 1980 as a replica of Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung Oo (Bagan). It is near the Shwedagon Pagoda, and the site is on the hillock where Queen Shin Saw Pu used to meditate and recite prayers whenever she visited Shwedagon. It contains relics of Buddha donated by the king of Nepal while visiting Myanmar . The construction design is mixed with modern and classic. There is a picture on the ceiling showing the positions of the constellation at the beginning of construction.

Sacred Tooth Relic Pagoda

While the Sixth Buddhist Synod was convening in Yangon in 1955, the People's Republic of China sent a good will mission of religious delegates along with a Genuine Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. This Sacred Tooth is sheltered in the Kwang Yi Su Temple in Beijing . It was sheltered in Maha Pasana Cave for respect and devotional admiration of the monks, laity and the venerable abbots of Buddhist countries who were attending the Synod.

In April of 1994, the Chinese religious delegates visited and presented two replicas of the Sacred Tooth for religious devotion and worship in Myanmar . The Dhama Pala hillock in Mayangon Township , Yangon (just a few hundred yards from Kaba Aye Pagoda) and the Shar Taw village in Amarapura Township , Mandalay Division were chosen and two Pagodas were constructed enshrining the Tooth Relics. These pagodas are reproduction of the Ananda at Bagan.

Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image

The famous stone sculptor of Mandalay , U Taw Taw, found a significantly large marble rock measuring 37.8 feet x 24 feet x 11 feet and weighing 500 ton. The marble, flawless and of high quality, was found in Zakyin village, Mattaya Township , 21 miles north of Mandalay .

U Taw Taw requested permission from the leaders of State to carve this marble rock into a grand Buddha image. The Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe gave guidance and granted permission for it to be conveyed to Yangon for public obeisance as a Buddha Image accord with religious tradition. The image was conveyed along the Ayeyarwaddy River in July 2000 on a 'Yadana Shwephaungdaw' (a huge raft decorated with jewels and gold) and taken to Mindama Hill, Yangon on August 2000.

Ah Lane Nga Sint

The name means a five-storey tower on the precincts of the pagoda. It indicates the five stages of the non-physical worlds.

Mai Lamu Pagoda

The interesting feature of this pagoda is a number of huge Buddha images and legendary figures such as spirits and mythical creatures associated with the Okkalapa city of that era. The pagoda was named after Mai Lamu, the mother of King Okkalapa, who originally founded Shwe Dagon.

Bo Ta Thaung Pagoda

Located on the Yangon River bank, the Bo Ta Thaung has for centuries been a navigator's landmark just as the Bu Paya was in ancient Bagan. Bo means a military officer and Ta Thaung means a thousand military personnel or vanguards, which were said to have constituted a guard of honour when the Buddhas' relics were personally received by King Okkalapa from India .

The pagoda was hit by an allied forces bomb in November 1943, and was rebuilt from public contributions in 1953. The removal of the debris afforded authentication of the origin of this pagoda because the excavations revealed a relic chamber and a stone casket inside it, shaped like a pagoda, and quite a variety of treasures such as precious stones, ornaments, engraved terra-cotta plaques, gold, silver, and brass and stone images. As many as 700 images were found.

One terra cotta plaque is of great historical significance because one side bears the image of Lord Buddha and other a Pali inscription in the evolved Brahmin script of South India . The script had been adopted by the Mon.

The new pagoda, built of reinforced concrete, closely follows the destroyed original and its height is 131 feet 8 inches. It retains the ancient motif and hollow inside so that people can enter.

Another unique feature is the showcases that have been worked into the walls all round to house the many relics that were unearthed during the excavation. In the centre, the exact spot of the old reliquary, is a well-like hollow which will be the depository of the sacred relics.

Maha Pasana Guha

Maha Pasana Guha or the great cave was created simultaneously with the Kaba Aye Pagoda in 1952. It is a replica of the Satta Panni cave where the First Buddhist Synod was convened over 2500 years ago in Rajagah now known as Rajgir in Bihar of India. The Maha Pasana Cave has six huge concrete pillars and six entrances to mark the Sixth Great Synod.

It is 455 feet in length and 370 feet in breadth. The assembly hall inside is 220 feet in length and 140 feet in width. About 2,500 members of Sanga and 7,500 laities can be seated in raised seating in the Maha Pasana Cave . The Congregation of the Sixth Buddhist Synod met here in 1954, and this is also known to be one of the mid-twentieth century historical land marks of Buddhist religion.

Kaba Aye Pagoda

Kaba Aye, meaning World Peace, was built to commemorate the Sixth Buddha Synod in 1954, held in Maha Pasana Guha (Cave) within the same compound.

The pagoda is 34 meters in height and 34 meters in circumference at the base. The pagoda has five entrances and hall space containing five Buddha images. There is also an image of the last Buddha (Gautama) made out of pure silver weighing 500 kilograms. Relics of the Buddha and two of His Chief disciples are also enshrined in the pagoda. There are concrete buildings for the accommodation of the reverend monks of Buddhist countries and learned monks of Myanmar well versed in the Buddhist. The scriptures are now used for monks studying higher-level religious instructions.

Nga Htat Kyi Pagoda

Nga Htat Kyi Pagoda is a sitting image of Buddha located in the Ashay Tawya Kyaung Tank.

Chauk Htat Kyi Pagoda

This pagoda with its reclining image of Buddha is on Shwegonedaing Road , opposite the Nga Htat Kyi Pagoda.

Koe Htat Kyi Pagoda

It has a 65 foot high sitting image enshrining relics of the Buddha, and is located in Sanchaung. There is also a reliquary inside the image of the Buddha.

Planetarium

The Planetarium displays are housed in a new building which was constructed in 1986 to aid the study of the solar system, astronomy and the weather.

Programs are displayed at the Planetarium in collaboration with astrological experts. Complex machinery used at the Planetarium is maintained with the co-operation of Japanese experts and Myanmar engineers.

The Planetarium is on Ahlone Road, Dagon Township, Yangon.

National Museum

The 5-storey National Museum was opened on September 18, 1996 to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the State Law and Order Restoration Council at a cost of 400 million kyats.

Displays includes showrooms featuring the Thihathana Throne, the Yadanabon Period, epigraphy and calligraphy, the Myanmar prehistoric period, natural history, royal regalia, Myanmar history, Myanmar performing arts, Myanmar traditional folk art, Myanmar ancient ornaments, national races culture, and Buddha images. The museum also features two art galleries showing Myanmar work.

The National Museum is located on Pyay Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. It is opened daily.

Defence Services Museum

The purpose of this new three storey museum is to preserve military equipment and artifacts from the period of the Myanmar kings through to the contemporary period. The Museum has 52 showrooms displaying ancient and modern martial arts, weapons, uniforms, emblems, and historical pictures.

The Museum is on Shwedagon Pagoda Road in Dagon Township, Yangon.

Myanmar Gems Museum

This Museum highlights the history of one of Myanmar's most important natural resources, gems. Myanmar gems are among the world's best, and many exciting and fascinating items are exhibited here in over 100 countries. The Museum is on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangon Township, Yangon.

Drugs Elimination Museum

This museum was opened on June 26, 2001 to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The Museum documents the nation's fight against the scourge of drugs. Displays document the introduction of opium by colonial powers, and many other facts and artifacts.

The Museum is on the corner of Kyundaw Road and Hanthawaddy Road, Kamayut Township, Yangon.

National Theatre of Yangon

During a good will State Visit by the People's Republic of China to Myanmar in 1985, the Chinese President Mr. Lee Shan offered to build a modern theatre as a gift in commemoration of the good-will between the two countries.

The Government of Union of Myanmar accepted the offer, and plans were drawn to construct the building in cooperation with Chinese engineers and Myanmar technicians and workers.

Construction began on June 3, 1987, and was completed on December 27 1990 at a total cost of 150 million kyats. The theatre was officially opened on January 31, 1991. New seats have just been added.

The theatre is used for cultural exchange programs with foreign countries, for departmental workshops, religious ceremonies, prize giving ceremonies, performing arts competitions, and for musical stage shows.

Nat Shin Naung Memorable Tomb

Nat Shin Naung, who was only nine, marched and conquered Yodayar (Thailand) with his father King Nanda of Hantharwaddy in AD 1587. Nat Shin Naung cracked down Sawbwa of Moe Kaung who revolt against King of Hantharwaddy in1590. After the two successes of high caliber in battles he was awarded for his gallantry. In 1592, the fourth march to Yodaya was made with the loss of Crown Prince Mingyi Swa in the battle field, but Nat Shin Naung had got the opportunity to show his bravery at the age of 14. However, the romance of Nat Shin Naung and Yaza Datu Kalayar, the bereaved wife of Crown Prince, was one of the strangest love stories in the history of Myanmar literature. Nat Shin Naung was 18 years younger than Yaza Datu Kalayar who happened to be his uncle's wife.
Nat Shin Naung wrote a lot poems, forlorn verse and Ratus describing his of passionate love for Datu Kalayar as well as travelogues comprised of the nature of that period while on his missions through out the of his father's empire. He became Crown Prince at Taungoo in 1603 AD and acceded to throne in 1607 AD. After 11 years of court-ship he married to Datu Kalayar at the age of 25, but Datu Kalayar died 7 months after the marriage. With criminal twist of mind Nat Shin Naung made friends with Phillipe De Britto (Nga Zingar) chief of Thanlyn to take revenge against Innwa King who conquered Taungoo. But De Britto wittily attacked Taungoo and took Nat Shin Naung as prisoner of war to Than Lyn and compelled to be Roman Catholic. In the same year Maha Dhamma Rajar of Inwas attacked Thanlyn; and captured De Britto and Nat Shin Naung. Both of them were crucified and executed in Thanlyn.

Yangon Zoological Garden

Located in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, Yangon Zoological Garden is almost 100 years old now as it was established in 1906, the earliest of its kind in Myanmar. With the coverage area of 69.25 acres, it is situated in close proximity to the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, Kandawgyi Lake, Aquarium, Karaweik Palace and Yangon Railway Station. The Zoological Garden was established with the intention of providing relaxation to the public, helping provide extracurricular studies to students and general knowledge to enthusiasts in the fields of Zoology and Botany, educating and persuading the general public in the protection of wildlife, and propagating and conducting research on the perpetuation of rare species of wild animals and birds.

There are about 300 tree species, totaling over 15,000 trees, planted in the Garden. Among them are such species as Thawkagyi, Linlun, Padiphyu, Meze, Karamek, Sagawa, Layhnyin, Zardeikpho, etc. Moreover, there exist 59 species of mammals, 60 species of birds, 18 species of reptiles, amounting to over 1,300 species. In addition, wild animals such as elephant, rhinoceros, tapir, hippopotamus, camel, tiger, lion, deer, various species of monkey, snake, tortoise, crocodile, various species of bird, a pair of tusks of the white elephant that died in 1219 - 1857 during the reign of King Thibaw, 72 feet long skeleton of a whale 72 feet in length, and a statue of Stegosaurus are also on display.

When you come to Yangon, you should not miss the opportunity for one-stop observation of the collection of wild animals, birds, reptiles, indigenous to Myanmar, that would only be possible at Yangon Zoological Garden. Some of the opportunities for study and recreation include rides in elephant-cart, horse-cart, or on elephants and horses, free snake and elephant shows on weekends and public holidays, and an easy access to fauna and flora either for studies or for enjoyment.

Hlawga Park

This park was founded in 1982 at Mingaladon Township in Yangon Division, just 22 miles from downtown Yangon. Tigers, leopards, bears and other carnivorous animals are housed in the 62 acre park and in the mini zoo. Sambhur deer, barking deer, and hog deer freely graze in the 818 acres of natural forest. Attractions include elephant rides and shows, and 165 species of birds and plus 25 species of migratory birds also inhabit the park. Facilities include an environmental education centre, an information centre, a guide map, ample car parking, open decks and scenic picnic sites.

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