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AROUND YANGON

NORTH OF YANGON

Bago (Pegu)

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Bago, a former capital, is a Disney-fl avoured

theme park of gaudy religious sites. It would

be fair to say that this small and scrappy town

probably contains a greater density of blissed-

out buddhas and treasure-fi lled temples than

any other similar-sized town in southern

Myanmar. All this makes Bago a superb and

simple day trip from Yangon, or the ideal fi rst

stop when you leave the city behind.

History

Bago was reputedly founded in AD 573 by two

Mon princes from Thaton, who saw a female

hamsa (mythological bird) standing on the

back of a male hamsa on an island in a huge

lake. Taking this to be an auspicious omen,

they founded a royal capital called Hantha-

wady (from the Pali-Sanskrit ‘Hamsavati’,

meaning the ‘kingdom of the hamsa’) at the

edge of the lake. During the later Mon dynas-

tic periods (1287–1539), Hanthawady became

the centre of the Mon kingdom of Ramanade-

sa, which consisted of all southern Myanmar.

The Bamar took over in 1539 when King

Tabinshwehti annexed Bago to his Taungoo

kingdom. The city was frequently men-

tioned by early European visitors – who

knew it as Pegu – as an important seaport.

In 1740 the Mon, after a period of submis-

sion to Taungoo, re-established Bago as their

capital, but in 1757 King Alaungpaya sacked

and utterly destroyed the city. King Bodaw-

paya, who ruled from 1782 to 1819, rebuilt it

to some extent, but when the river changed

its course the city was cut off from the sea

and lost its importance as a seaport. It never

again reached its previous grandeur.

 1 Sights & Activities

Many of Bago’s monuments are actually cen-

turies old, but don’t look it, due to extensive

restorations. This is an excellent place to

explore by bicycle, as most attractions are

near each other. Bikes are available for rent

at Bago Star Hotel.

Shwethalyaung Buddha MONUMENT

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Once upon a time a nasty king, who went

by the name of Mgadeikpa, ruled the lands

around what is today Bago. His reign was

marked by corruption and violence, but one

day his son was out hunting in the forests

when he came upon the village of Suvan-

nabhumi, where his eye fell upon a Mon girl

who caused his heart to fl utter. Even though

she was a Buddhist and he, like everyone

in his father’s kingdom, worshipped pagan

idols, the two became lovers and married af-

ter he promised her that she could continue

to practise Buddhism.

Back at the court the king was furious

when he discovered this and ordered the

execution of both the girl and his son. Yet

when the new bride prayed in front of the

pagan idol it cracked and broke. The king

was seized with fear and, realising the er-

ror of his ways, he ordered the building of a

statue of the Buddha and the conversion of

the population to Buddhism.

The gorgeous reclining buddha that you

see here today is said to be the result of this

doomed love. Measuring 180ft long and 53ft

high, the Shwethalyaung is certainly the

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To
Shwemawdaw
Paya (300m);
Hintha Gon
(600m)
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ToKyaik Pun Paya (500m);
Bago Star Hotel (600m);
Yangon (50mi)
See Enlargement