Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(24th St, 82/83)
Founded in 1167 by Prince Minshinzaw, exiled son of King
Alaungsithu, Shwekyimyint considerably predates Mandalay itself. Minshinzaw himself
consecrated the central sitting Buddha image, that's roughly life-sized and crusted with
gold and jewelled raiments, in an intimately hushed little prayer chamber. The pagoda
also hosts other images collected by later Myanmar kings, relocated here for safe keeping
after the British occupied Mandalay Palace.
Gold-Pounders' District
WORKSHOPS
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(36th St, 77/79)
Those one-inch-square gold-leaf sheets that worshippers piously
place onto sacred buddha images are laboriously hand-pounded in dozens of specialist
workshops in this two-block area. Two main street souvenir-shop showrooms,
King
talk you through the process while musclebound gold-beaters demonstrate. It's free and
fascinating, and there's no sales pressure, though several souvenir options might well
prove tempting.
Sri Ganesh Temple
HINDU TEMPLE
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(27th St, 80/81)
This temple's colourful, sculpture-strewn
gopuram
(monumental
tower) might excite you if you've never been to southern India or Singapore.
Jade Market
MARKET
(87th St, 39/40; admission $1; 8am-4pm)
This heaving grid of cramped walkways is a
shoulder-to-shoulder mass of jade traders. You don't need to pay the $1 entry (not always
enforced) to observe interesting scenes of craftsmen cutting and polishing jade pieces
just outside along the market's eastern flank (87th St). Or retreat to the octagonal
Unison
Teahouse
MAP
(38th St at 88th St; tea K300;
5am-1am)
to watch
GOOGLE MAP
furtive-looking jade merchants discussing deals over a cuppa.
Beware that there are proposals afoot to move the jade market way south of town.
Cultural Museum & Library
MUSEUM
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
