Mandalay
Mandalay was founded by King Mindon in 1857. It is situated in the eastern bank of Ayeyarwaddy River and it’s located in center of Myanmar. Mandalay is the last seat of Myanmar Kingdom. People called Mandalay not only as “the heart center of handicraft”, but also as “ Myanmar’s cultural capital”.
Mahamuni Image is the land mark of this city and the most famous temple in Mandalay. You can visit King Mindon’s seven major building projects; The Royal Palace, The Moat, The Atumashi Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda( The World Largest Book ), The Ordination Hall, The Sudamar Rest House and The Pitakat Library. Mandalay Hill is one of the high-lights for tourists to end their one-day-sightseeing by watching over the panoramic sunset. One can take a sweeping view towards the Yan Kin Hill, Sagaing Hill, and the Min Wun Ranges and also the mighty Ayeyarwaddy and the Shan Hills at the far distance.
You can also visit handicraft workshops such as stone carving, wood carving, tapestry, the incredible process of making gold leaves, bronze casting and weaving cloth.
Mandalay is also the main market town for Upper Myanmar, a place for the hill tribe peoples to gather, and the gateway to the mountain strongholds of the Shan and Kachins. The overland trade route to China also begins here.
For the traveller it’s the centre of a vast amount to see: nearby are the former royal capitals of Ava(Inwa), Amarapura and Sagaing, as well as the interesting towns of Mingun , unfinished pagoda, and Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo).