The Burmese women he noticed can be seen there too, some wearing the traditional sarongs long discarded in most of Asia, some chatting on smartphones as they circumambulate the stupa in proper Buddhist fashion.ĭespite the intrusions of modern technology and being Myanmar’s fourth largest city, Mawlamyine (as Moulmein is now officially spelled) still maintains an air of distance from the world’s mainstreams, in part because of its geography.
Its soaring, gilded stupa gleams on a ridge overlooking a city of greenery and watery expanses which has retained links to the British colonial past that Kipling chronicled. Today, 128 years later after Kipling’s infatuation, the Kyaik Than Lan pagoda remains a prime attraction for pilgrims and tourists. “By the old Moulmein pagoda, lookin’ lazy at the sea/There’s a Burma girl a-settin,′ and I know she thinks o’ me.,” go the opening lines of “Mandalay,” verses imbued with nostalgia for the wind-swept palms and twinkling temple bells the young poet left behind for the gray skies of England. It was also really cool to see the monastery because I don’t think that is a thing that many people seek out to experience.MAWLAMYINE, Myanmar (AP) - On the stairway rising to Moulmein’s great Buddhist shrine, the visiting British writer Rudyard Kipling was inspired to pen one of the most anthologized poems of the English language. “It was a great day program if you want to get out of the city and see another side to Myanmar if you don’t have much time in your schedule to do so. I also enjoyed how this was a day program that went beyond Yangon as it was hard to get out of the city unless you did an over night trip or independent travel.” – Fall 2017 Voyager I also enjoyed the information presented on the tour as it pertained to the program but also the current events happening in the country. “I love the tour guide, she was funny, informative and animated. The base of the Pagoda, with its shady trees, provides a pleasant place to stroll or simply sit in peaceful reflection.Īt the end of the journey, visit a local Mon village to observe hand weaving and cigar rolling demonstrations before heading back to Yangon. The glittering golden top of the stupa reaches 14 meters (46ft) higher than the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Built by two merchants – Taphussa and Bhillika’, the pagoda has been repeatedly damaged and rebuilt in its history due to earthquakes and natural disasters. Next, visit the highest pagoda in Myanmar (114 meters/374ft), the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, said to be over 1000 years old. Here enjoy a spirited dance presentation (subject to availability). After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the Hinthagone Pagoda for a panoramic view of Bago. Observe the morning meal procession with the long line of monks and novices of the monastery receiving their final meal of the day before noon!Īfterwards, explore the central market of Bago, which serves as a distribution point for cloth, household items, and other imports. According to Buddhist tradition, monks only eat twice a day, early morning and mid-morning. A Myanmar male is expected to spend some of his life serving as a monk to learn the ways of Buddhism. It is situated 80km (50miles) from Yangon and was reputedly founded by Two Mon princes in 573 CE.īegin the day with a visit to one of the largest monasteries in Myanmar – Kyakhatwaing Monastery. Bago is an ancient capital of the Mon Kingdom from the 13 th Century.