Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cheerful Burmese hustle and bustle quite different from other temples hereabouts. The small
complex's major feature is its unusual
gilded stupa
, raised above the water on a crenellated
whiteterrace,withstepsleadingdowntotheriverbelow.Saidtodatebacktothereignofthe
semi-legendary third king of Bagan, Pyuswati (162-243), the stupa's distinctively bulbous,
gourd-shaped outline is typical of early Pyu architecture - although what you see now is ac-
tually a reconstruction, the original having been toppled during the 1975 earthquake.
Gawdawpalin Paya
Daily 8am-6pm
Askinnysupermodelamidthevenerable monumentsofOldBagan,the
GawdawpalinPaya
was begun during the reign of Narapatisithu (ruled 1174-1211), completed by his son, Htilo-
minlo, and then seriously damaged in the 1975 earthquake, although it's now been patched
up. A superb late-period double-cube structure, it looks like a taller, slimmed-down version
of the Thatbyinnyu, with a slender spire reaching a height of 55m - one of the loftiest in
Bagan.Finestuccoworkshowingtheusual
kirtimukha
withpearlsandgarlandsdecorates the
exterior, although the interior is disappointingly plain, save for some traces of floral murals
around the four main entrances.
Bagan Archeological Museum
Daily except Mon 9am-4pm • K500 • No photography
Given the wealth of attractions in Bagan, you might consider skipping the largely lacklustre
Bagan Archeological Museum
, housed in a large and unforgivably ugly building in ersatz-
traditional Burmese style plonked right in the heart of historic Old Bagan.
Entering the museum, the main hall on the
ground floor
has some fine sandstone Buddhist
carving from the Gubyaukgye and Nagayon temples in Myinkaba and a pair of fine pillar
inscriptions erected by Kyansittha. The attached “Showroom of Bagan Period Literature” is
fullofpillarinscriptionsrecordingthevariousbuildingsdonatedbylocalnotablestoBagan's
monastic community, along with accompanying lands, slaves and the occasional cow. Here
you'llalsofindthemuseum'smostimportant exhibit,the
Myazediinscription
,oneofapair
ofidenticalcarvings,theotherbeingatthe
Myazedi
templeinMyinkaba.Alsoontheground
floor, the “Bagan Period Arts and Crafts” showroom is worth a quick look for its rare cloth
painting and models of outlandish Bagan-era hairstyles, plus a mishmash of other artefacts
including some interesting stone carvings and the inevitable pots.
Pickings are thinner up on the
first floor
, although the “Buddha Images” room is worth a
quick peek, including further images from the Nagayon Paya; an eleventh-century Buddha
fashioned from an alloy of five metals (now protected by stout golden bars); and some fine
wooden, stone and lacquer Buddha images.
Mimalaung Kyaung
Directly behind the drink stalls opposite the Bagan Archeological Museum • Daily 8am-6pm
