Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
parks are illuminated with streams of lanterns, and festivities continue throughout the full
week. Usually early Oct.
Kuthodaw Pagoda
Off 12th St • Daily 6am-9pm • Covered by
Mandalay combination ticket
Huddled in two groups northeast of the palace moat is a series of engraved marble slabs
which collectively are often referred to as “the world's biggest book”. There are a whopping
729 of them, each housed in a small stupa and relaying the entire fifteen books of the Trip-
itaka, ringing the
Kuthodaw Pagoda
. King Mindon commissioned the construction of the
complex in 1857, and it took more than a decade to complete and check for errors - the cre-
ation of the complex is, in fact, described on yet another slab, bringing the total here to 730.
The complex was heavily damaged during British rule, with bricks from the stupas used for
military roads, though rebuilding came quickly and was impressively conducted.
