TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Bagan: City of a thousand temples

Majesty of Bagan: Bright moonlight illuminates the Tu Yin Mountain Pagoda

The Jakarta Post
Tue, August 12, 2014

Share This Article

Change Size

Bagan: City of a thousand temples

Majesty of Bagan: Bright moonlight illuminates the Tu Yin Mountain Pagoda.

The chill in the predawn air in the city of Bagan, Myanmar, fails to discourage travelers from leaving their van to enjoy the beautiful view ahead of them.

The exhaustion after a long trip fades at the sight of the exotic panorama of Bagan.

Travelers can reach Bagan by air, train, night bus or by hiring a minibus from Yangon. A land trip from Yangon to Bagan takes about 10 to 15 hours.

Several huge, golden pagodas stand majestically in stark contrast to the dark early-morning sky. Other pagodas, temples and stupas of various sizes lining Bagan'€™s roadsides are also dimly visible.

Morning has broken: Pagodas, temples and stupas stand amid early-morning sky, giving an exotic panorama of Bagan.
Morning has broken: Pagodas, temples and stupas stand amid early-morning sky, giving an exotic panorama of Bagan.

Rural life: Women walk to their vegetable farm.
Rural life: Women walk to their vegetable farm.

Young Abbots: Little monks accept food prepared by residents, a tradition that has been passed down for generations.
Young Abbots: Little monks accept food prepared by residents, a tradition that has been passed down for generations.

Cruising along the archeological zone of Bagan the old temples dominate the urban landscape, ranging from grand and imposing structures to small shrines at road junctions.

At Shwesandaw, the minibus halts. With the bright moonlight and twinkling stars illuminating the temple area, the prevailing atmosphere is truly awe-inspiring.

Momentos: A vendor arranges colorful souvenirs at the Shwesandaw temple complex.
Momentos: A vendor arranges colorful souvenirs at the Shwesandaw temple complex.

Those entering the place of worship must go barefoot, the biting cold of stone steps is felt as they ascend the pagoda to reach its top tier more than 10 meters up.

Despite being chilled to the bone, foreign visitors chat volubly while waiting for the sunrise on the eastern horizon.

'€œMost foreign tourists relish the splendor offered by Bagan temples at the moments of sunrise and sunset,'€ said Thar Gyi, a tour guide and driver from a travel bureau in Yangon, the Myanmar capital.

Drawing Serenity: Hot air balloons fly above the pagodas, offering breathtaking sunrise and sunset views.
Drawing Serenity: Hot air balloons fly above the pagodas, offering breathtaking sunrise and sunset views.

'€œFor the best view of a hypnotizing sunset, tourists often opt for an aerial view of Bagan from an air balloon.'€

In the beginning, there were over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries built on the plains of Bagan, originally called Pagan. Today around 2,000 temples and pagodas are left.

Bagan is believed to have been discovered in the middle of the ninth century by the Mranma, or people of Burma. Territorially, the area was formerly under the rule of the kingdom of Nanzhao in the valley of the Irrawaddy.

With Myanmar opening up to the outside world, the thousand-temple city with its pristine culture and captivating scenery is developing into a magnet for visitors.

'€” Text and photos by JP/P.J. Leo

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.