Old World Meets New in Bagan
Bagan was quite possibly my favorite city in Myanmar. Comprised of three parts, Old Bagan, New Bagan, and the Archeological Zone, Bagan is the former capital of the Kingdom of Pagan.
Now it’s a small city of the new and old worlds, with modern hotels just around the corner from villages with outhouses. Tour buses and motorbikes travel the same roads as horse-drawn buggies and goat herders. Eleventh century temples sit practically in the backyards of restaurants with wifi. Even the monks have cell phones.
Seriously.
Monks taking a break. Gotta check the social media feeds!
It’s quiet at night (except when a celebration is held right next door to your hotel), and very dark. Some of the main roads are dirt, and there are no sidewalks to speak of. It’s completely charming. The people are so very lovely and the art and architecture of the temples is sublime.
Temple Town
Between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 temples, pagodas, and monasteries were located in the area. Over 2,200 of these structures are still standing along the dry plains, in the Bagan Archeological Zone. You cannot swing a cat in this place without hitting a temple. They’re everywhere, and they’re all pretty amazing!
Entrance to the Sulamani Temple
The recently cleaned Ananda Temple.
Buddha from the Sulamani Temple
Unfortunately, the area is an earthquake zone, so many of the temples have been damaged destroyed over the years.
The site suffered an earthquake in August of 2016, destroying 400 temples and damaging manyothers including the Sulamani and Myauk Guni temples- which are now being restored with assistance from UNESCO experts.
There are so many temples to choose from, it’s hard to know just what to get out and see. Whatever your choice, you’re in for a treat. Some of the temples have amazing paintings from the 11th and 12th centuries that outline the story of Buddha.
Claustrophobic Buddha- the temple was built around him.
Novitiate Celebration
Novitiate being celebrated in Bagan
We were lucky enough to be able to witness the novitiate ceremony known as shinbyu in New Bagan. Entering the monastery is a rite of passage for most Burmese boys.
The ceremony is a giant celebration throughout the village, and families band together to celebrate their kids and cover the costs. Starting with a parade that winds through the town, it’s a riot of colors and music that ends up in a big party.
All of the boys are dressed to impress- wearing elaborate dresses, make-up, and headdresses. They are led through the town on horseback, elephants, and in decorated carts with golden umbrellas held over their heads.
Decorated wagon and patient cows in Bagan
Young celebrants led on horseback through Bagan
The women join in carrying flowers and parasols, and the whole town comes out to watch or participate. We saw this played out throughout the country, but got an up close view in Bagan, and thanks to our awesome guide, Magic Sai, we were even invited to the party!
Sunrise/Sunset
Hot air balloons silhouetted by the sunrise
I am a huge fan of the sun and all of the beautiful colors it produces at sunrise and sunset. Due to its magnificent local scenery and location, Bagan is the perfect place to feed your photo habit. There are multiple sites where you can get a glorious shot, and Bagan has a well established ballooning business, so you can get a bird’s eye view of the place. If you prefer staying a bit closer to the ground, you can watch all of the balloons taking off at dawn from any number of temples.
Unfortunately, it was very hazy when we were there. It was just after harvest season, so there were lots of fires every day to clean up the fields and any miscellaneous debris.
The Shwesandaw Pagoda is well known as a “Sunset Temple” and tends to be crowded with tourists. The pagoda has a series of 5 terraces that you can climb to get your best view. The stairs are steep and narrow, so be careful on your way up and down. Local vendors selling drinks and souvenirs line the base, so if get there a little early, you can get a cold drink- even fresh coconut water- and wait for the main event.
Sunset from the Shwesandaw Pagoda
Another option for sunset is a cruise along the Ayeyarwady River. There are a number of small boats that can be hired for a small fee. You can bring aboard snacks and beer, and if you’re lucky, the captain will pull over onto one of the sandy banks and dock, so you can watch the sun going down with the sand in your toes.
Sunset over the Ayeyarwady River outside of Bagan
There’s no shortage of amazing sites to see in Bagan!
