I tend to think of myself as a jaded traveler in Southeast Asia. Having seen all of the ancient monuments of Southeast Asia, I didn't think I could be impressed by anything again. Of course, I had read up on Bagan before my first trip there, but I still wasn't prepared for the scale of the place. It's one thing to read about more than 2,000 temples built in an area of just 42 square kilometers, it's quite another to see it for real.
We arrived in Bagan around sunset, and on the drive from the airport to our hotel, an endless line of pagodas and temples could be seen just outside the car's windows. In the light of the next day, the amazing scope of Bagan became clear, as a seemingly endless cluster of monuments stretched from the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River to the horizon.
Ananda Temple
But let's not get too carried away. Comparisons to Angkor Wat are probably inevitable, but Bagan is a very different place. None of the monuments at Bagan are a match for the size of the temples of Angkor, but what Bagan lacks in scale, it makes up for in numbers. While there are less than 50 monuments at Angkor, there are more than 2,000 temples still standing at Bagan.
Bagan History
The area around Bagan has been settled since the second century AD, and in 849 King Pyinbya built the walls of the city, the remains of which can still be seen today. The "golden age" of Bagan, when most of the temples were built, began with ascension to the throne of King Anawrahta in 1044.
Hitlominlo Temple
The temple building began after King Anawrahta conquered the Lower Burma Mon kingdom of Thaton in 1057. The king had converted to Theravada Buddhism and set about spreading it throughout the land. The practice was carried on by most of his successors, and by the time Kublai Khan's armies overran Bagan in 1287, there were some 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures spread across the plain.
Bagan Sights
Shwezigon Pagoda
The first of the monuments built by King Anawrahta was the Shwesandaw Pagoda, making this as good a place as any to start with. Most of the monuments are along the two roads running between Old Bagan and Nyaung Ou (see map). From Shwesandaw, the next notable monument is the last Bamar style temple built in Bagan, the Hitlominlo Temple. Next would be the Gubyaukngi Temple, with its fine murals.
The Ananda Temple lies just outside of the old city wall. It was completed in 1091. In plan, the temple is a perfect Greek cross. The four large entrance arches, topped with stone flames, face each of the cardinal points.
The Ananda temple in Bagan The entrance halls each lead to large niches housing huge gilded standing Buddha images. Each of the images displays slightly different hand gestures, each of which has a meaning representing the last four incarnations of Buddha.
The Gubyauknge Temple in Bagan, Myanmar Just outside the village of Nyaung U is the Gubyauknge Temple, built in the early 13th century. The temple is quite small, with a pyramidal spire on top similar to the Mahabhodi Temple in Bohdgaya, India.
On the outside, you can just make out some of the remaining fine stucco work. Inside are some fine murals depicting the Jakata, the last life of Buddha.
The Hitlominlo Temple in Bagan, Myanmar Between Old Bagan and Nyaung U is the Hitlominlo Temple, one of the last of the golden-era temples built before Kublai Khan's forces over-ran the city in 1287. The temple was built in 1211 by King Nantaungmya.
One of the Buddha images in the temple, lit from the sun streaming through an entrance" /> Although it is mostly exposed red brick today, the temple appears to have once been covered in plaster.
The golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda. The first great king of Bagan - Anawrahta - founded Bagan's most important shrine: the Shwezigon Pagoda. Although the king started construction of the stupa in 1060, he died before it was completed. It was left to his son, King Kyansittha, to complete construction around 1089.
The site for the stupa was chosen by the king in what may seem an unusual manner. A white elephant was let loose, and the temple was construction at the place where it chose to rest.
Shwesandaw Pagoda, with its many surrounding pagodas and temples A short distance from the Thatbyinnyu Temple, and on the other side of the road, is a small temple that is a good view point across the plain of Bagan and its many monuments. The most prominent feature that can be seen from here is the white chedi of the Shwesandaw Pagoda, although many other temples, pagodas and monuments can be seen from here, perhaps more than a hundred in all.
Thatbyinnyu Temple The tallest of Bagan's great monuments is the Thatbyinnyu Temple, at 61 meters (about 200 feet) tall. The temple is just a half kilometer from the Ananda Pagoda, and just inside the old city walls. It was built in 1144 and is the first of the "temple on temple" designs, where there is effectively a second, smaller, square temple built on top of a larger one.
While the entries at the four cardinal points of the first floor lead only to niches, since the core of the building is solid to support the second level temple, the openings of the second level pierce the square building all the way through.
The best time to visit Bagan is from December to February. This is the driest time of year as well as the coolest. Daytime temperatures in December are warm, but not as hot as they will be from April to June, and the nights can be cool enough require a jacket or sweater.
The Tharabha Gate into Old Bagan, built in the 9th century In 847, King Pyinba erected a wall around the city of Bagan. This was a few hundred years before Bagan's “golden age” when most of the large temples and pagodas were built, which explains why many of the sights are outside of the walls.
The remains of the moat outside the city wall Of the twelve or so original gates, only the eastern Tharabha Gate remains, and it in fact has been reconstructed.
Some old pagodas by the river A very nice way to cool off after a day slogging around old temples is to take a sunset cruise on the Ayeyarwaddy River. Cruises by private boat depart from the banks of the river at Old Bagan and travel up-river well past the historic area. The boatman then shuts off the engine and allows you to drift quietly back down towards the old city while the sun sets behind the hills on the western bank of the river.
An amazing array of vegetables on sale If you're in the mood to see something other than a pile of bricks for a change, then you might take in the morning fresh market in Nyaung Ou. If you're not familiar with the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available in Southeast Asia, a stroll through the market can be an eye-opening experience.
Bananas and coconuts You'll find eggplants (aubergines) in an amazing variety of sizes and colors, as well as gourds, tomatoes, chilies and many kinds of herbs.
Bagan Sights The first of the monuments built by Kin Anawrahta was the Shwesandaw Pagoda, making this as good a place as any to start with. Most of the monuments are along the two roads running between Old Bagan and Nyaung Ou (see map above). From Shwesandaw, the next notable monument is the last Bamar style temple built in Bagan, the Hitlominlo Temple. Next would be the Gubyaukngi Temple, with its fine murals.
Getting to Bagan from Mandalay or Yangon can be done by plane, train, bus or river boat. Several trains a day travel between Yangon and Mandalay, with both government and private operators. Most trains are overnight, as is the bus service. Note that tickets for either a bus or train must be booked the day before, and your passport is required to make a booking.
If you have plenty of time, the river is an interesting option for travel from Bagan to Mandalay (or vice-versa).
The selection of international standard hotels is rather limited in Bagan, especially given the tourist potential of the city's many sights. The small selection below reflects hotels we've stayed at or have feedback from reliable sources about. You can use the search box at the bottom of the page to find more options using HotelsCombined, which helps you find the best rates for hotels by comparing prices from dozens of booking sites at once.
Bagan is still far enough off the tourist trail that there aren't many restaurants catering to tourists outside of hotels. We found only one worth mentioning. There are probably more.
Sunset Garden Restauant Sunset Garden is the only place we found outside of our hotel that was worth recommending. The setting, on he banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River in New Bagan, would indeed make an excellent place to enjoy dinner while watching the sun set over the river.
Fresh market