The Temples of Bago – Yangon, Myanmar

During our drive from Yangon to the Golden Rock at Kyaikhtiyo we made a number of brief rest stops at less famous sites. Some were more interesting than others.

Kyaik Pun Paya

A few miles from the Bago is Kyaik Pun Paya – home to the Four Seated Buddha Shrine. This 27m (90ft) high statue depicts the Buddha’s four seating positions, all back to back.

This place has the gaudy, whitewashed look of a hastily built tourist trap, hoping to make money out of visitors to Bago, so I was surprised to learn it was built in the 15^th century.

I’d guess visitors were rare as the surrounding stalls were unpleasantly pushy, and there was nowhere to buy a drink.

(Not) Shwethalyaung Buddha

The sign above the door says ‘Naung daw gyi mya tha lyaung’ (it’s a big sign), but for brevity’s sake I’ll stick with the slightly shorter Shwethalyaung. (edit: It’s not Shwethalyaung Buddha – see the comments)

Very similar in design to the ChaukHtatGyi Reclining Buddha in Yangon, this statue was less ornate and more lifelike, and in a far more attractive location. Again this Buddha looks shiny and new, but was built in 994.

Entrance fees: free, despite being the best stop of the day.

Snake Monastery

This site was divided into two areas. The first was home to a huge snake that is said to be the 120 year old reincarnation of the former head of a monastery in Hsipaw.

The snake made its way to Bago and obliging monks built a temple round it. The walls of his room are covered by photos of visiting dignitaries awkwardly holding the heavily sedated looking creature.

The second area is a high platform dedicated to snake gods.

Looking west from the top it was possible to see a vast expanse of countryside, dotted with golden stupas towering over the lush green forest. It would be a perfect place to watch a dazzling sunset through the multi-coloured clouds.

Looking east from the top is a stinking pile of burning plastic giving off clouds of smoke, which may explain the unnatural hue to the area.

The three dusty beggars at the snake monastery take a different approach from those in Yangon. Rather than a smile or a wince and a polite request they lead with a shouted “Give me money!” and make a grab for your pockets.

Hintha Gon Paya

This temple marks the place where the Buddha was said to have appeared to two birds and predicted the rise of a great city. It was built by the hermit monk U Khanti, who was also responsible for the Mandalay Hill we visited a few days later.

Apparently there’s a great view of Bago from the top, but by now it was the hottest time of the day, so the friendly restaurants at the bottom were a greater draw than a holy hillock.

The owner of the corner café was the most welcoming, so we sat and chatted to her for a while until she came out with a special treat:

Deep fried Porcupine

It’s a tough and gamey meat, most closely resembling pork. It tasted ok at the time, but led to having a higher than usual number of trips to the bathroom, which is awkward on a lengthy drive, and sapped our energy for the exhausting hike the following day.