What things to do and see in Mandalay? Despite being a relatively young and dynamic city, Mandalay is the cultural capital of Myanmar. Mandalay is the second largest city, and 700 km north of Yangon city. Mandalay is considered a hidden city full of charm and mystery. Mandalay is surrounded by four large rivers. There are many attractive destinations awaiting you to explore. If you are intending to travel to Mandalay, then follow the article below to get helpful hints for your trip about things to do and see in Mandalay.
Discovering Mandalay Hill

Highlighted in the middle of the sky is the Mandalay Hill – the sacred hill, with the tower above, the bottom is plain. Let’s climb up to the top of Mandalay hill to relax and admire the sunset and sunrise. Once you look at the sunset on the top of Mandalay Hill, you will not forget Mandalay in wonderland. Normally, to reach the top of the hill, you will have to climb on high stairs. If you do not want to use staggered steps, you can also take an escalator, a car or a bus to the top.
Along the path leading up to the hill, there are many famous temples and traditional craft toy stores. From the top, look down, you will see a beautiful panorama of the city below. Here visitors will feel the peaceful space, and from the top of the hill, you can see the beautiful Mandalay is in the early morning or late afternoon. Because of this, this is one of the most impressive landmarks in Mandalay. There is still a picture of Buddha standing on the hill. The Buddha stood with his right hand posture towards the Royal Palace and the city below.
The 230 m high hill was the epitome of Burmese Buddhism when Mindon moved to Mandalay around the nineteenth century. Then in the twentieth century, asceticism was the place where Buddhists came to be crowded to spread Buddhism.

Experiencing the unique street food in Mandalay

Many visitors have commented that the cuisine of the Mandalay in particular, and Myanmar in general, have many similarities with the cuisine of India, Thailand and China. Coming to visit Mandalay, you cannot miss the opportunities to enjoy delicious street food with exclusive tastes. In addition to spices (such as garlic, chilli, pepper), Shan rice is becoming the perfect choice for spicy grinders when traveling to Mandalay. Some typical dishes that you should definitely try are: Mont Di, Shan noodles, Myee Shay, lemon fish, … In the heart of the city next to Mandalay Palace, wandering the early morning markets, there are many bright boutiques including breads, hot rolls and hot milk tea, which are typical of the Myanmar people. Mandalay also has the famous roasted duck at Golden Duck restaurant that you should not miss the opportunity to enjoy. Let’s come and try!

Visiting Mingun Village

The Mingun Village is located north of Mandalay city on the other side of the Ayeyawadi river. There are many stupas, which are considered sacred treasures. To get here, tourists have to catch the train in Mandalay, then along the Ayeyarwady River. The Mingun Village has still retained the charm and elegance of an ancient village. When sailing down the river, tourists can enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as feel the simple life of people on both sides of the river. When exploring the Mingun Village, do not forget to visit Mingun pagoda and Hsinbyume pagoda.

Admiring old wooden U Bein bridge

U Bein Bridge is considered as the longest, oldest wooden bridge in the world and one of the beautiful sunset views in the world. The bridge is located in the Mandalay suburb of Myanmar, 11.9 km south of the Mandalay central bus station. U Bein Bridge is a-must-visit place in Myanmar.
The U Bein Bridge is about 1200 meters long, lying across the lake Tayngthaman. Initially, the bridge was completely made of wooden but then some piers and balustrades in the submerged part replaced with concrete pillars.
Visitors want to visit the bridge, not only to feel a unique beauty, but also to get on well and experience the daily life of local people here.

Go sightseeing Mandalay Palace

The wooden palace was built in 1857-1859, when King Mindon took the capital from Amarapura to Mandalay, based on astronomical calculations and auspices at the foothills of Mandalay. The Mandalay Palace is famous for its built wall system in a square block of 413 acres. Although the entire palace burned down by bombs during World War II, the external walls and moats still exist today. The palace completely reconstructed in 1989, by the archaeological department and became a tourist attraction. This palace has existed for a long time but it still holds the majesty and gravity.
The position of the Mandalay Palace is also very well estimation, based on omen and astronomy. Although destroyed in World War II, the government of Myanmar restored the Mandalay Palace, which is quite similar to the old architecture.
With its subtle and unique architecture, Mandalay Royal Palace preserved over the years, to retain the essence of human architecture. Visiting this heritage of Myanmar, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the royal culture of this place. In addition, when the tour is complete, you can visit the city center Mandalay and enjoy the special dishes of this city.

Exploring the Inwa mural village

The Inwa village attracts many tourists, because of its ancient architecture, beautiful landscapes, or good food, as well as the villagers who have lived for hundreds of years with their old style, friendliness and hospitality, is the unique special attraction. The Inwa village is a lovely village nestled on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. This ancient village is among the most popular tourist destinations in Myanmar with many precious heritages. Myanmar tours often feature Bagaya Kyaung Monastery and Namyin leaning tower. All of the buildings here are ancient in appearance, experiencing many ups and downs and are extremely meaningful in the heart of the Inwa people.

Spending time at the stone sculpture workshop

A place you should not miss when visiting the Mandalay – the famous tourist destination of this city. It is the stone sculpture workshop, in the Sagaing area, where nature has bestowed precious creatures along with the ingenuity of the hands and the intelligence of man has produced the finest masterpieces.
With skillful hands of crafts men, the rough stone blocks turned into perfect works of art, fine art stone products. The products are created sophisticatedly and elegantly.
It is very interesting when visitors come to visit the stone sculpture workshop, is that, you can not only admire the works of art but also see the craftsmen carefully and meticulously how to make stone sculptures as well as their production process.
All products are hand-carved, each finished product requires a lot of time, through several stages, from a rock and then sketching, choosing colors and sizes, to raw materials, to the output shape, cool, and polish. The stone sculpture products here are diverse in types and designs, from the display of garden, interior decoration (lion, fish, …) to the statue of spiritual worship (Buddha, Elephant, Tortoise,…), interior decorations, office supplies, delicate and colorful jewelry.

Relaxing and enjoying the fresh air at Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery

After getting tired of visiting the famous sites, if you feel tired and want to rest, or simply find a fresh air, please visit Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery. The architectural feature of this monastery is that Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery is built entirely from teak wood, with elaborate architectural details showing the talented and skillful hands of artisans.
The Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery is the place conducting various training and education activities for thousands of young monks. Monks live in dormitories and study in the monastery. You may have chance to feel the most authentic life and activities of the monks. You can even taste their usual food to know more about the monk’s daily life. When visiting the monastery, you will feel clear and fresh space, dispel all chaos and depression in life owing to the scenery here.

Going shopping at Mahar Aung Myay market
In addition to sacred temples and pagodas, Mandalay is also famous for its pearls and precious stones. Among the popular shopping place in Mandalay, the Mahar Aung Myay market is a destination should not missed. This is the largest jade market in the world. You can take a leisurely stroll around the neatly stocked pavilions, admire the variety of exquisite jade jewelry. The market is actually a series of narrow shops, which are separated by a chessboard. Customers coming to this famous jewelery market are mainly Chinese, Rakhain (a state of Myanmar), Indian…
Jade market always attracts many tourists to come and buy. The largest jade market in the world sells from bracelets, earrings, pendants to the Buddha statue. Visitors will admire many beautiful jade blocks. And if you like, you can buy some small jade pieces or decorative statues as souvenirs on the trip. Remember to bargain and also have to consider the quality!

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