Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Between Namtu Road and Little Bagan is
Sao Pu Sao Nai Nat Shrine
, a vibrant temple
filled with picturesque statues of animals, dedicated to Hsipaw's guardian
nat
, Tong Sunt Bo
Bo Gyi, whose effigy stands in the offering-filled main hall. The compound is also home to
several smaller pavilions furnished with miniature beds, and covered with pink satin sheets -
the last word in
nat
hospitality. Towards the rear of the complex is a green-canopied shrine
thatholdstwoswings;localpeoplepushthe(empty)swingstopleasethefemale
nat
depicted
behind them and gain her blessing.
Thein Daung Pagoda
2.5km south of Hsipaw • Daily dawn-dusk • Free
AlsoknownasSunsetPagoda,
TheinDaungPagoda
offersgreatviewsoutoverHsipawand
the hills that bracket the town and river. To get here, head south along the Mandalay-Lashio
roadandcrosstheDokhtawadyRiver.Justbeyondthebridgethere'sadecorativegatewayby
the roadside - the pagoda is a thirty-minute walk uphill from here.
Bawgyo Paya
9km west of Hsipaw • Daily dawn-dusk • Free
Atwenty-minutedrivewestofHsipawisthestrikinglytiered,Shan-style
BawgyoPaya
.The
central shrine contains four wooden Buddha statues believed to date from the thirteenth cen-
tury, when they were carved from a piece of wood given to Bagan's King Narapatisithu by
animmortal. Theleftovers wereburiedinthetemple complex, wheretheymiraculously took
root, growing into a tree that still thrives today. The Buddha images are shown publicly once
a year, during a huge festival that takes place here around the Tabaung (February/March) full
moon.
