Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
centuries, pre-dating the much younger city over the water. The town first rose to prominen-
ce in the fifteenth century and was controlled successively by the kingdoms of Hanthawaddy
andTaungoobefore(in1599)fallingtoaRakhineattackledbyPortuguesesoldier-of-fortune
FilipedeBritoeNicote
. Appointed the city's new governor, de Brito subsequently declared
independence from his Rakhine masters, ruling over Thanlyin until he was overthrown by
soldiers from Taungoo in 1613. De Brito was executed by impalement, a gruesome punish-
ment reserved for those who had defiled Buddhist shrines.
Kyaik Khauk Pagoda
Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Rd • Daily 6am-9pm
The imposing
Kyaik Khauk Pagoda
, on a small hill on the southern side of town, has fine
views over the Yangon River. The current stupa is thought to date back to around 1300 and
is claimed to enshrine two Buddha hair relics. It's an impressive structure in generic Shwed-
agon style, with the usual large gilded stupa on an octagonal base.
Ye Le Pagoda
Kyauktan, 15km south of Thanlyin • Daily 6am-8pm • $2 • Boat crossing $5
South of Thanlyin in the town of
KYAUKTAN
is the superb
Ye Le Pagoda
, built on an is-
land in Hmaw Wun Creek and appearing to float miraculously in the water. The pagoda's
elaborate collection of shrines includes structures dedicated to Shin Upagot, a moustachioed,
white-turbanedBoBoGyi,andamarbleBuddhaseatedonanextraordinarilydetailedgolden
LionThrone-styleaffair,whileyoucanalsobuyfoodtooffertothecatfishthatsplasharound
the temple. Unfortunately, the fees levied on foreigners for entrance and the thirty-second
boat crossing to the temple are a complete rip-off.
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Bago Rd, Taukkyan, 15km north of Yangon airport (take any bus heading towards Bago) • Daily 7-11am &
1-4.30pm • Free
NorthofYangon,inthetownof
TAUKKYAN
,theimmaculatelymaintained
TaukkyanWar
Cemetery
(thelargestofthree suchsites inMyanmar) providesamovingandsombremonu-
ment to the many thousands of Allied and Commonwealth soldiers (including large numbers
from India and Africa) who lost their lives fighting the Japanese in Burma and Assam during
World War II. There are 6374 named soldiers buried here, with a further 867 graves con-
taining unidentified bodies, as well as the cemetery's Rangoon Memorial, inscribed with the
names of 27,000 further soldiers whose bodies were never recovered.
