Mingun Paya, A Monument to Ambition and Majesty

Claimed to be the largest brick pagoda in the world

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Introduction

Bodawpaya once had a grand dream of building a pagoda that would be taller than Mandalay Hill, reaching a height of over 150 meters, so that people from the town of Ruibaw, the birthplace of the Min-gon dynasty, located 100 kilometers away, could also see its magnificence. To achieve this dream, the entire pagoda was built using brick and mortar, making it the largest brick-built construction site in the world at that time. However, due to earthquakes and the legend that "when the pagoda is built, the dynasty will fall," the project was halted and later abandoned completely after a major earthquake. Today, we can only see the 50-meter high foundation of the pagoda, but even so, we can imagine the spectacular sight it would have been if it had been built. Two giant statues, which appear to be elephant bottoms but are actually stone lions, stand in front of the pagoda. Due to the effects of earthquakes, their heads have been damaged. Standing at the top of the pagoda, you can enjoy the magnificent view of the entire Irrawaddy River and this is also the best place to watch sunrise and sunset.