Wondering what places to visit in Bago, Myanmar? Bago is a place with many ancient architectural works with historical value attracts many people every year. Bago was formerly the capital of Myanmar, its name was Pegu, and was completely separate from the sea. Bago has owned many famous temples, huge statues and unique Buddhist architecture. To help you to gain some helpful information about tourist attractions in Bago, this following article may provide a list of destinations you definitely should go when coming to Bago.
Bago is truly a great city and one of the most historic cities in Myanmar, with the splendor of history survived through hundreds of architectural. The glory of this ancient city is reflected in many magnificent buildings and ruins. Cities with a history of thousands of years like Bago can provide you with a great deal of architectural knowledge. They even include symbols of earlier civilizations, with both signs of positive and negative development of humanity.
1) Mount Kyaiktiyo (the Golden Rock)

The Golden Rock pagoda (Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda) is the first destination of what places to visit in Bago. Kyaikhtiyo is one of the most famous monuments of Myanmar and one of the few natural masterpieces. The sacred Golden Rock is lying wanderously on another rock through 2,000 years. The rock is close to the edge of the mountain, at the first glance, we will have the feeling that just by pushing hands, the rock can fall down at any time. At the top, there is a tower about 7.3 m high. Golden Rock is famous for its incredible tottering, the contact area of the mountain is only 78 cm2. Burmese mythology explains this strange composition by the story of the Buddha, according to the legend, the stupa on the stone is the Buddha’s hairpiece.
Many people believe that the temple was built during the Buddha’s lifetime, over 2,500 years ago. The pagoda located on the top of Mount Kyaikhtiyo, 1,000 meters above sea level and more than 200 kilometers from Yangon. The Golden Rock pagoda has many statues placed around the corner, especially some Buddha statues are inlaid with thousands of precious stones, hundreds of diamonds and gold bell.
In addition to religious beliefs and unique architecture, beautiful views from the top of the mountain also attract visitors coming to visit this pagoda.

2) Kanbawzathadi Palace

Second in the list of what places to visit in Bago is The Kanbawzathadi palace was built during the prosperous period of Burmese history, built by King Bayinnaung of the Taungoo dynasty. The Kanbawzathadi palace has magnificent color, reflecting the grandeur of Myanmar’s glory in the past. This giant palace consists of 76 apartments and a lounge. The Kanbawzathadi palace has been decorated with two peacocks and a Pyatthat roof. Several architectures of the palace have been renovated. There is a museum displaying items and artifacts found during the excavation, as well as information on the history of Myanmar in the palace.

3) Shwethalyaung Buddha

Shwethalyaung is an architecture built by a monarch bearing a sense of guilt. The beautiful Shwethalyaung Buddha is the result of sad love of two people. According to legend, this magnificent statue was constructed in the 10th century under the reign of King Mgadeikpa. This statue was rebuilt in 1906 by the most famous architects of Myanmar. After this renovation, the statue was remodeled carefully and elaborately. It is the largest Buddhist statue in Myanmar and the second largest in the world. This Buddha statue is 180 feet long and 53ft high. This is also a must-see destination in the list of places to visit in Bago.

4) Maha Kalyani Sima

Sima or Hall for the ordination was built for Buddhism. Kalyani Sima Hall, built by King Dhammazeddi in the 15th century, resembles the Kalyani Hall of Sri Lanka. For a long time, this huge hall dedicated to the followers of the Theravada Buddha. It was restored many times to keep the original architecture. The hall has yellow and white architecture, with many statues and mosaics of its history. There are ten stone verses recording the religious ties between Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

5) Kyaik Pun Paya

The Kyaik Pun Paya is one of the most popular spiritual tourist destinations. This is a tourist attraction appealing domestic and foreign visitors. On the way from Yangon to the Mount Kyaiktiyo (the Golden Rock), visitors often stop to visit the tetrahedron Kyaik Pun Paya, the temple with four Buddha statue leaning back on each other. The Kyaik Pun Paya is considered as one of the most sacred places of Myanmar. This pagoda is a suitable destination for those who are looking for pure place for the soul. People often stand before the statue toward their home country and then pray for health and happiness for their family, friends and themself. The statue was renovated by King Dhammazedi in the fifteenth century.The Buddha statue is 27 m high, bearing the four Buddha faces in four directions: Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama. Especially when traveling to Myanmar, everyone should admire that unique beauty. This is a pagoda without a tower. The special thing is that, the attractive point of this pagoda is the four-sided statue.

6) Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery

What next what places to visit in Bago? Myanmar has been known as a multi-religious, multi-ethnic country, therefore, there are many beautiful and lively monasteries attracting visitors from all over the world to come and visit. The Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Myanmar. Foreign travelers want to pilgrimage to the Buddha land and experience many different things in this monastery. In Myanmar, there is a special thing, that is monks do not abbot the temple but only focus on training and studying in the monastery, with thousands of people. The best thing is that you can take short-term courses at the monastery or simply visit and enjoy the special feeling of pure life here to get unforgettable experiences. Meditation is a well-researched science that is very useful for human life. Many tourists come here not only to watch the scenery, enjoy good food but also to participate in the short course of meditation to feel the peace. Besides, you also admire the alms round of the monks in the morning. If you would like to have a chance to learn about this ritual, do not forget to visit the monastery in the morning. Coming to visit the Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery, visitors will have opportunities to admire the sight of over 500 monks go begging each morning. Utensils for containing food are just enough for one person. Vases are made of stone, terracotta and clay. Almsgiving has regarded as one of the traditional forms of Buddhist activity in general, Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar in particular, which is characteristic of Buddhist culture.

7) Shwemawdaw Pagoda

An interesting destination for tourists visiting Myanmar is the Shwemawdaw pagoda. This pagoda is located on Pagoda Road near the Kanbawzathadi Palace. To come to the Shwemawdaw pagoda, you can go by a tuk tuk from the Bago city center.
This pagoda has thousands of years old, which is one of the ancient pagodas in Bago storing relics of the Buddha. This pagoda is 375 feet (114 m) high, shorter than the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. There are many special ceremonies taking place annually at this temple. The ancient, dignified and original architecture of the temple has preserved until today, although the temple has undergone many architectural changes. From the long distance, in the sunlight, the pagoda sparkles with a splendid beauty due to the unique gold-plated architecture.. The space in the pagoda is very suitable for travelers who want to find a place of peace. At the Shwemawdaw pagoda’s courtyard entrance are two giant Chinthes, the legendary creature resembling a lion, responsible for guarding and protecting the temple. In addition to the main pagoda, there are some small pagodas around. All have created a massive and unique architecture. The pagoda is decorated with a diamond hti, a prominent decoration that is present in most temples and pagodas of Myanmar.
For local people, this Buddhist work is especially important because there are many relics of the Buddha and the stupas have old architecture.

8) Snake Pagoda

The Snake pagoda is another name for the Yadana Labamuni Hsu-taung pye Paya. The pagoda dates from the mid-11th and 15th centuries, but until the 1970s , snakes began to appear in the pagoda. According to the theory, three large snakes from the nearby forest came and slept around the statue. Since their appearance, the giant snakes in the pagoda have not left, becoming the goddesses of honor and respect of the monks and nuns who care every day. Today, when coming to the Snake pagoda, visitors can participate in pyrotechnics ceremony at 11 am every day. You can also boldly touch these snakes to pray. Although not a large pagoda, the Snake Pagoda is considered a unique pagoda attracting a broad range of visitors. People from many places in the world, coming to visit and find out information about the theory to explore this pagoda. This is definitely an interesting attraction that you cannot miss when visiting Bago.

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