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Mandalay Myanmar or Mandalay
City
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was the last royal city in
the country before
the British occupation.
We show more than one hotel
in Mandalay, some history
and plenty of pictures.
Mandalay monasteries,
pagodas, Buddhist temples,
handicraft and lots of
cultural activities plus
vicinity at Amarapura,
Sagaing, Mingun and more.
Today the city is the
center of the northern half
of Myanmar, also a hub
and center of the country in
terms of culture and
business. Since Myanmar has
the size of Great Britain
and France combined there is
quite a huge area around.
One of the most known
concerning Mandalay is
probably Kiplings
text.."Road to Mandalay".
This name is used today for
a couple of tourism
enterprises among them is
the river cruise ship "Road
to Mandalay" operated by the
Orient Express company and
cruising between Mandalay
City and Bagan. No need for
a hotel in Mandalay |
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when taking this journey,
everything is on board and
its very expensive. This
company also runs the
Eastern & Oriental Express,
luxury train between Bangkok
and Singapore, this is pure
luxury travel. There is also
more than one excellent
hotel in Mandalay which
makes travel to Mandalay
very easy since there are
also several flight from
Yangon Myanmar everyday,
plus buses and a train
connection
Mandalay City is making a
immense transformation since
around the beginning of this
century because thousands on
Chinese who want to get away
from the overpopulation,
natural disaster and more
settle Mandalay and vicinity
until now (2011) already
more than two million
Chinese started a new life
in the area. the native say
most are not capable anymore
to the in the city since
real estate and rental
prices virtually exploded
since the neighbors form the
north came in.
At
Mandalay all this old
Burmese cultural traditions
can be experienced in real
time.
Exotic
cities of Myanmar's
past are around such
as
Amarapura, Shwebo, Sagaing,
Monywa and other and on
almost
every hill golden
and white Pagodas
and temples show the
dedication to
Buddhism.
Aside of the
migration and
economical issues
the city is a must
for anyone who
travel to Myanmar. If
someone haven't been
in Mandalay and
Bagan they never
really been in the
country. Famous old
and significant
monasteries,
pagodas, temples,
handicraft, art etc.
give a feeling of
the past when
colonial times was
still on.
In our website you
will read things you
never heard of
and
you will see
pictures nobody has
ever seen before.
Since most of our
Mandalay pictures
are of high quality
and similar have
never shown before
plus an excellent
text around we
remind everyone all
this is copyright
protected. |
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The last two Kings
of Myanmar, King
Mindon and Thibaw resided in
the Mandalay Palace.
The panoramic view
of Mandalay is such
that it has
pagoda-studded
landscape, the grand
royal palace, to the
east is the blue
ridge Shan mountains
and the ever-flowing
life line of
Myanmar, the
Ayeyarwady river on
the west. It’s
ambience is covered
by such fabulous and
notable |
A panoramic view of
Mandalay,
Hotel in
Mandalay,
road to
Mandalay,
Myanmar
Mandalay,
Mandalay
history,
Mandalay
pictures,
Mandalay
beach,
Mandalay
monastery. |
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towns like
Amarapura, Sagaing
and Monywa famed for
Myanmar arts and
crafts and religious
monuments.
At Mandalay City the
most interesting is
probably Mandalay
palace which was
burned down after a
hit by a Japanese
bomb and but
completely renovated
in the 199X ties.
Myanmar was
devastated by the
World War II and the
British evacuation
and the reoccupation.
During the war, many
significant
buildings were
either burnt down or
heavily damaged.
That included many
structures in
Mandalay, including
the King’s palace.
However, the palace
and many buildings
were rebuilt on the
original ground and
old model.
The city is accessible by
air, rail and the Irrawaddy,
currently
(2011) river
traffic is
only between
Mandalay and
Bagan and
from the
city about
100km to the
north
because of
continuously
shifting
sandbanks.
Actually
during
British
colonial
times the
problem was
under
control and
the
Irrawaddy,
Chindwin and
other rivers
of Myanmar
had
substantial
river travel
over the
whole
network.
A new
Mandalay
international
airport
has been
installed a few
years ago,
the problem
is, there is
often no
electricity.
Sometimes
during the
years there
is one
international
flight
between Mandalay
and Chiang
Mai in
Thailand.
Maybe this
will improve
in the
future to
open up the
city
internationally,
few years a
helicopter
service was
available
between the
city and the
world ruby
capital
Mogok, there
are plenty
of rich
people in
the region. |
Some Mandalay
History
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The emergence of
the Mandalay City
has an interesting
and poignant legend
behind it. Once
the Gautama Buddha
and his disciples
happened to have a
sojourn on the
summit of the
Mandalay Hill.
Buddha gave a sermon
to the assemblage,
including an ogress
who was very much
pleased with the
teaching.
The ogress
wished to offer
something to Buddha
but unfortunately
she had nothing to
offer. At that
instance, the ogress cut off
her breasts and
presented it to Buddha.
Buddha
solaced her and told that the
ogress would be
born again as a prince and when
ascending
the throne a
new city at
the foot of the
Mandalay Hill will
be created.
This somehow
turned out
true
as Mandalay
was founded
by
King Mindon who
arranged the
Fifth
Buddhist
Synod in
1871, this was all
before the
British
occupation.
King Mindon born
1814,
Amarapura, died
Oct. 1, 1878. Mindon was
a brother of King Pagan
(reigned 1846–53), who was
king during the Second
Anglo-Burmese War in 1852.
The father of King Thibaw
reigned from 1853 to 1878.
In 1857 he gave the order to
move the capital from
Amarapura to a new site.
Chosen was a suitable place
near the holy mountain,
Mandalay Hill. According to
the legend Lord Buddah had
stood here once with his
disciple Ananda. From there
Lord Buddha pointed towards
the South-West prophesying
that sometime in the future
a city of great religious
importance would be built
there. King Mindon chose
this spot and named the new
city Mandalay. After four
years building the royal
palace was finished in 1859.
During his reign he strongly
supported culture and
religion. He tried hard to
make Mandalay a centre of
Buddhist learning, convening
the Fifth Buddhist Council
there in 1871.
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King Thibaw
and
Queen Supayalat
(picture is
from 1880) he has been the
last Burmese Ruler. His
short reign (1878–85) ended
with
the occupation by the
British. In an attempt to
play the French against the
British, he gave economic
concessions to the French
and they proposed political help
but the Brits started all
kind of foul play and
finally war.
When
the
British
sent
King
Thibaw
to
exile
chaos
came
up
and
during
this
time
all
the
royal
regalia
was
looted.
Some
pieces
were
recovered
and
are
on
display
at
the
National
Museum
in
Yangon.
The
hintha
bird
casket
(right)
is
one
of
the
most
beautiful
items
on
display,
made
from
solid
gold,
set
with
rare
rubies
and
other
precious
stones.
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There
are
other
items
like
ceremonial
bowls,
water
pitcher,
cup
holder,
crayfish
pitcher,
betel
boxes
and
spittoons
decorated
with
designs
of
mythical
creatures
and
flowers.
Despite of strong
conservative opposition,
Mindon initiated several
reforms. The most
important reforms he did on
the land tax plus fixed
salaries for government
employees. He standardized
the country’s weights and
measures. A program to build
roads and a telegraph system
was started. He also was the
first king to issue coinage,
for
more
about
Mandalay
palace
and
history
read
more
here.
The
British colonialists
forced him to sign a treaty
to split the country,
cut
Burma
off
from
the
sea
and
took
some
of
the
best
teak
forest
and
Mandalay
Myanmar
rice
growing
regions
under
their
control.
The
king
also
started
industrial
reforms,
many
foreign
machinery
was
imported
and
set
up
(about
the
same
time
when
the
Japanese
under
the
Meiji
dynasty
did
the
same).
Unfortunately
the
British
destroyed
all
industrial
setups
when they took
control of the whole
country. This was according
to their doctrine to force
their colonies to function
as supplier of raw material
only.
King Mindon died in a all
teak pavilion within the
palace city. King Thibaw
donated this building to be
used as a monastery.
The time was rife when
Thibaw charged the
British-owned
Bombay - Burmah Trading Company,
which cutted teak logs from
the Ningyan forest in Upper Burma, of cheating the
Myanmar government. A fine
of £100,000, was imposed.
The Indian viceroy, Lord Dufferin, sent an ultimatum
to Mandalay. In October 1885
demanding to drop the case.
Thibaw ignored Lord
Dufferins request. On
Nov. 14, 1885, the British
invaded Upper Burma, and
captured Mandalay after two
weeks. Thibaw was deposed
and Upper Burma included as
ap rovince
of
British
Burma.
They
were
deported
by
the
British
colonialists
into
exile
in
India
until
his
death. |
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