The area around Mandalay city is very rich in ancient capitals, which leave countless valued historic and religious relics. Thanks to this, it is considered as the most important cultural hub of Myanmar.
1. MANDALAY CAPITAL
Mandalay is now Myanmar’s second largest city, but if pull out the history in 19th century, it can see that its role was not less important than it is today. Mandalay imperial capital was founded at the foot of Mandalay Hill by King Midon in 1857, ostensibly to fulfill a prophecy of the foundation of a Buddhism metropolis in an exact place on the 2,400th Buddhism jubilee. To construct this new capital, the former royal palace of Amarapura was dismantled, and materials were moved by elephants to the new location.
The capital is surrounded by four rivers. For the next 26 years, Mandalay was the last royal capital of Konbaung Dynasty, the last independent Burmese kingdom before its final annexation by British Empire. It ceased to be the capital in 1885.
Relics till current days
Settled on the foot of Mandalay Hill and constructed by King Midon in 1868, Kuthodaw pagoda contains the world’s largest book, which stands upright, sets in stone, and spreads on the pagoda’s ground with 729 stone tablets carved Burmese Buddhist scripture.
* Sandamuni Pagoda
Situated southwest of Mandalay Hill, this pagoda was erected by King Mindon in 1874, with aim to be memorial to Mindon's younger brother, Kanaung Mintha, who was assassinated along with other three princes, Malun, Sagu Minthu, and Maingpyin during the 1866 Myingun Prince rebellion. It covers the graves of these four murdered Princes and an iron image cast in 1802.
2. AMARAPURA CAPITAL
Due to the royal treasury depleted by the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852, Mindon decided to reuse as many materials from Amarapura as possible in the construction of Mandalay. Its palace buildings were disassembled and caried by elephants to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways.
Until now, part of the moat is still recognizable near the Bagaya Monastery.
Relics till current days
* U Bein bridge: It spans over Taungthaman lake and is just the world’s oldest and longest teak wood bridge.
When the capital shifted to Mandalay, the residents in Amarapura made use of teak wood from the imperial palace to erect this bridge. It is 1.2km long and consists of 1086 main pillars and thousands of boards. It was curved in the middle to resist assaults of wind and water.
3. INWA CAPITAL
It is an ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms for nearly 360 year, on five separate periods, from 1365 to 1842.
Inwa became the capital of Ava Kingdom, the main polity of Upper Burma from the 14th to 16th centuries. After undergoing repeated attacks and sieges in the last time of Ava Dynasty, it was chosen as a royal capital again on four periods of Toungoo and Konbaung Dynasties (16th to 19th centuries).
Throughout history, it was sacked and rebuilt numerous times. The capital was finally abandoned after it was completely destroyed by a series of significant earthquakes in March 1839, and King Tharrawaddy decided to rebuild a new palace in Amarapura in 1842. However, few traces of its former grandeur remain until now.
Relics till current days
* Nanmyin Leaning Tower: a watchtower
* Yadana Hsimi Pagodas – A small group of stupa ruins left after the earthquake.
* Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery: A brick monastery built in 1818 different from traditional Burmese monasteries, which are constructed with wood, not masonry.
* Bagaya Monastery: This teak wood monastery was first built in 1593. After burnt in the fire in the reign of King Bagyidaw, it was reconstructed in 1992. It’s known as “Monastic college" where the royals were educated.
4. SAGAING CAPITAL
With numerous Buddhist monasteries, Sagaing is a meaningful religious and monastic center of Myanmar. See again the past, it used to be the imperial capital of Sagaing Kingdom (1315–1364), one of the minor kingdoms that rose up after the fall of Pagan Dynasty.
During the Ava period (1364–1555), this city was the common fief of the crown prince and senior princes. It also had a brief time to be the royal capital between 1760 and 1763 under the reign of King Naungdawgyi (Konbaung Dynasty).
Relics till current days
This pagoda features a central 97ft-high gilded stupa, some delightful paintings and statues, and fantastic views over the scenery below. It is originally decorated with glass tiles for an unusual shimmering effect.
5. SHWEBO CAPITAL
The city was the origin of the Konbaung Dynasty, established by King Alaungpaya in 1752, which was the i political force in Burma after the mid-18th century. It served as Alaungpaya's capital from 1752 to 1760.
Up to 1752, Shwebo was a village, called Moksobo. In 1752, the chief of the village – Aung Zeya – founded the Konbaung Dynasty to resist the upcoming invasion of Lower Burma and renamed his village as Shwebo. Over the next eight years, Alaungpaya led the reunification of Burma with Shwebo as his capital. Shwebo lost its capital status after Alaungpaya's death in 1760. The successor Naungdawgyi moved the capital to Sagaing closer to Irrawaddy river. The region then was usually held as an appanage by the most senior princes.
Relics till current days
* Shwebo palace (Shwebonyadana Mingala Nandaw)
* Myodaung Pagoda
* Shwe Chattho Pagoda: built in the place where King Alaungpaya was born.
* Mahananda Lake
* Tomb of Alaungpaya
* Shwetaza Buddha Image
* The auspicious ground (Maha Aung Myay)
6. OTHER RELICS OF DYNASTIES AND REIGNS
* From 1790, King Bodawpaya (6th king of the Konbaung Dynasty) ordered to construct a gigantic pagoda, a gigantic bell and a gigantic couple of lions during his reign until he was died in 1819.
Relics till current days:
