Bagan travel guide
Dhammayazika Temple glowing at sunset
The ruins of medieval Bagan – nowadays officially known as the “Bagan Archaeological Zone” – are scattered over an area of roughly 50 sq km (26 sq miles), 290km (180 miles) southwest of Mandalay on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River. Formerly inhabited by between 50,000 and 200,000 people, the lost city is now largely deserted, with most of the local population and tourist-related businesses confined to settlements on the peripheries, leaving the monuments rising in a state of charismatic isolation inland.
An estimated 2,200 temples, pagodas, kyaung and other religious structures rise above the plains here – survivors from the crop of around 13,000 erected between Anawrahta’s conquest of Thaton in 1057 and Kublai Khan’s invasion of the Bamar Empire in 1287. The spectacle of their towers and finials bristling from the table of flat scrubland is hypnotic at any time of year, but especially so on mid-winter mornings, when river mist and cooking-fire smoke often enfolds the brick and stucco structures, glowing red in the first rays of daylight.
Bagan is huge. Don’t underestimate the size of the site or the heat of the central plains. It’s better to see some temples in detail and slowly than to rush through too many and exhaust yourself.
Visiting Bagan
At the height of the tourist season, between mid-December and late January, droves of visitors converge via a maze of dusty footpaths and cart tracks on the more famous viewpoints to savour this exotic spectacle. But you can easily sidestep the crowds by venturing a short way off-piste. Indeed, aimless explorations of Bagan’s fringes are just as likely to yield memorable visions as the dozen or so “must-sees” that dominate tourists’ tick lists. Wherever you wander, though, glimpses of exquisitely proportioned stupas and temple towers are guaranteed, along with swirling Jataka murals in beautiful earthy red hues, and meditating Buddhas in dimly lit shrine chambers.
The majority of visitors spend at least two days and three nights at Bagan, but you could conceivably spend double that here without re-tracing your own footsteps. Begin at Old Bagan, the walled city enclosing the largest concentration of monuments, and work your way clockwise around the Zone from there. Unmissable locations include the enigmatic Dhammayangyi Temple, the best-preserved monument on the site, the delicately shaped Ananda Temple, with its four teak Buddhas, and the frescoes in the Upali Thein and Abeyadana Temple.
One of the great experiences of any trip to Bagan is climbing a pagoda to view the sun rise or set on the temples and surrounding plain. But in 2012, in response to the wear and tear on delicate stairways and terraces, tourists were banned from climbing any of the monuments. The only exceptions seem to be the Shwesandaw itself, still freely accessible, and a few outlying temples. Local horse-cart drivers know which places remain open. An alternative is the well-placed, but ugly, government viewing platform (entry $5).
The riverside villages dotted around the Archaeological Zone, where most of the hotels, restaurants and shops are located, are where you’re most likely to kill time between temple tours. A handful of waterfront cafés offer breezy spots from which to admire views of the distant Rakhine-Yoma hills, while sunset cruises on the river provide a relaxing perspective on the site and its environs. The ultimate way to see Bagan, however, has to be from the air, from one of the hot-air balloons that drift over the ruins each morning and evening.
Top places to visit in Bagan
Dhammayangyi Temple, Central Plain
Despite occupying the throne for only a short time, Narathu is remembered as the founder of Bagan’s largest shrine, the Dhammayangyi Temple, which rises from the scrub a short stroll southeast of the Shwesandaw. Deeply concerned about his karma for future lives after having murdered his father and brother, Narathu built the Dhammayangyi intending to atone for his misdeeds. It is today the best-preserved temple in Bagan, with a layout similar to that of the Ananda but lacking the delicate, harmonious touch of its prototype. The brickwork and masonry, however, are without equal.
Local legend asserts that Narathu oversaw the construction himself and that masons were executed if a needle could be pushed between the bricks they had laid. The building, however, was never completed. Before work could be finished, Narathu himself was assassinated by an Indian suicide squad dispatched by the father of one of his wives, whom he’d had executed because he disliked her Hindu rituals. Disguised as Brahmin priests, the assassins drew swords as soon as they’d been received by the king, then slew one another.
Ananda Temple, Northern Plain
Just to the east of the old city walls, the Ananda Temple is considered the masterpiece of Bagan’s surviving Mon architecture. Completed in 1091, it was, according to The Glass Palace Chronicle, inspired by a visit to Kyanzittha’s palace by eight Indian monks, who arrived one day begging for alms. They told the king they had once lived in a legendary Himalayan cave temple and, using meditative powers, made the mythical mountain landscape appear before Kyanzittha’s eyes. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the vision, the king immediately decided to build a replica of this snowy abode at Bagan and is said to have been so awe-struck by the result that he personally executed the architect to ensure the temple could not be duplicated.
The structure of the building is that of a simple corridor temple. Four large vestibules, each opening out symmetrically into entrance halls, surround the central superstructure, which itself is inlaid with four huge niches. The entire enclosure, 53 metres (174ft) on each side, is in the shape of a perfect Greek cross. In the alcoves facing the four cardinal points are four 9.5-metre (31ft) –tall teak Buddha images, dimly lit from the slits in the sanctuary roof. The north- and south-facing statues are originals, but those facing east and west are later copies.
The roof above the central superstructure consists of five terraces, covered with 389 terracotta-glazed tiles illustrating Jataka tales. Together with those inside the temple and at its base, they represent the largest collection of such tiles in Bagan.
Capped by a golden stupa that reaches 51 metres (168ft) above the ground, Ananda’s beehive sanctuary tower (sikhara) rises from the tiered roof. Smaller pagodas, copies of the central spire, stand at each of its four corners, creating the impression of a mountainous Himalayan landscape.
Upali Thein, Northern Plain
About 1.5km (1 mile) down the main road from the Ananda Temple towards Nyaung U, the 13th-century Upali Thein or hall of ordination, was named after the monk Upali. Although of brick construction, it is said to resemble many of the wooden buildings of the Bagan Era which have long since disappeared. The roof has two rows of battlements and a pagoda at its centre. The Konbaung dynasty undertook extensive renovations at the end of the 18th century, re-painting the beautiful frescoes of Buddhas and Jataka stories that adorn the walls.
Abeyadana Temple, Myinkaba
On the river-side of the road, the Abeyadana Temple was named after Kyanzittha’s first wife, whom he married as a young warrior. Local legend insists it is situated at the place where she waited for him during his flight from Anawrahta. Abeyadana, originally from Bengal, was probably a follower of Mahayana Buddhism: the frescoes on the outer walls of the corridor represent Bodhisattva, or future Buddhas, and on the inner walls are images of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, and other gods of the Hindu pantheon paying homage to the Master, along with 550 wonderful Jataka murals.
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