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Myanmar > Places & Sights > Bagan
Located 193 kilometers south of Mandalay and covering 42 square kilometers, Bagan is one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia. Also known as the city of the four million pagodas, Bagan is one of the ancient capitals of Myanmar. There are more than 2,000 pagodas built during the Bagan Dynasty founded by King Anawratha in 1044 AD.
The main pagodas are: Ananda Pagoda, Dhammayangyi Pagoda, Hti-lo-min Pagoda, Shwegugyi Pagoda, and Shwesandaw Pagoda.
Near the Ananda Pagoda is the Bagan Museum. It contains images and sculptures found in temples around Bagan.
A lot of restoration is going on. Some of it is done poorly in terms of archaelogical work, but most locals maintain that the temples are first and foremost for Buddhists and not for tourists.
Worthwhile is also the market, close to the road.
There is now a new Bagan, not far from the old town. The inhabitants of the old town close to Bagan's temple area were forced by the government to move to this new place. There are several reasons, one of them being to protect the area, as many temples have been damaged by local treasure hunters in recent years.
One can get to Bagan by plane from Yangon (Rangoon) (ca. one hour). From Mandalay it is a five to six hours' drive or an overnight cruise by boat.