If you find yourself in Yangon and have spent all the time you want to in the dynamic but crumbling city, a day trip to the once-capital of a Mon kingdom in the lower Myanmar area is a worthwhile possibility. This is especially true if you are not stupa-fied and buddha-ed out by the thought of more zedis, pahtos, and monuments. My threshold may be a bit higher than most so I was keen to make the trip.
Some seventy kilometers north of Yangon is the modern city of Bago, formerly known in English as Pegu. It was founded by Mon traders in the 800’s C.E. From 1365 to 1625 C.E., it flourished under a string of competent rulers who left impressive religious monuments. These works not only expressed but helped strengthen their claims of spiritual legitimacy and worldly power.
Pegu hit its peak in the half-century from 1550 to 1600 under the rule of Bayinnaung, who made it the capital of his short-lived Taungoo Empire. Its impressive size is indicated in the map below.
Pegu – today’s Bago – the centre of the Taungoo Empire
The hotel receptionist arranged for a taxi to pick me up at 7:00 a.m. For $70. U.S. I would have the service of an air-conditioned car for the day. The driver Yan had done the trip often before so he already had a checklist of sites to visit in his head and we wasted little time getting from place to place. With another passenger or two to split the cost, the trip would have been downright cheap! It was still worth it. We arrived in Bago around 9:00 and for the next six hours Yan drove me from site to site and waited in the car while I did my thing.
What follows is a list of sites that my visit to Bago included. Some were more impressive than others; all would have benefitted from being visited in the cool of the evening near dusk when they would have been more alive with the presence of worshippers.
1. The Shwemawdaw Pagoda
Bago’s Shwemawdaw Pagoda and terrace
the fallen Hti and one of the eight planetary posts
monks walking past one of the pavilions on the Shwemawdaw terrace
Click on the following title to access more pix and info on the Shwemawdaw Pagoda –
Bago’s Shwemawdaw Pagoda – Myanmar’s Tallest Stupa
2. The Hintha Gon (The Hill of the Hamsa)
Welcome To Hintha Gon Pahto
monk making devotions at Hintha Gon Pahto
Click on the following title to access more pix and info on the Hintha Gon-
Bago’s Hintha Gon and the “New” Kanbawzathadi Palace
3. Kanbawzathadi Palace
Kanbawzathadi Palace
another view of the excavated posts on display at Kanbawzathadi Palace in Bago
Click on the following title to access more pix and info on the Kanbawzathadi Palace area
Bago’s Hintha Gon and the “New” Kanbawzathadi Palace
4. The Shwethalyaung Buddha
Shwethalyaung – panoramic view
Shwethalyaung – The Buddha’s pillow boxes
Click on the following title to access more pix and info on the Shwethalyaung Buddha –
AN AFTERNOON IN BAGO – VISITING THE RECLINING BUDDHAS
5. Mya Tha Lyaung Reclining Buddha
Mya Tha Lyaung Reclining Buddha Bago Myanmar
elephant statue on the edge of the Mya Tha Lyaung Reclining Buddha site
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AN AFTERNOON IN BAGO, MYANMAR – VISITING THE RECLINING BUDDHAS
6. The Mahazedi Paya
the top section of the Mahazedi
the entrance to the Mahazedi staircase – for men only!
a view of Bago’s sites from the Mahazedi’s top platform
Click on the following title to see more about the Mahazedi and the two following sites –
VISITING BAGO’S BUDDHIST SITES – THE DAY TOUR CONCLUDED
7. Shwegugale Paya
the Shwegugale Pagoda interior
four of the seated Buddhas at Shwegugale Pagoda
three seated Buddhas – each with a different mudra
8. Kayak Pun Pagoda
the Kayak Pun Buddha pillar
Kayak Pun Pagoda
Kayak Pun planetary pillar
Click on the following title to see more about the Kayak Pun Pagoda –
VISITING BAGO’S BUDDHIST SITES – THE DAY TOUR CONCLUDED
Ramblin' Boy 
Can you give me Yan’s details for contact next January?
Shari, I do not have the contact details for Yan; the front desk at my hotel made the arrangements. He seems to be one of the cabbies they use on a regular basis. The receptionist at the hotel you stay at will be able to arrange a similar service.
U mean the hotel receptionist can help to arrange such a trip for us ??
Jessie, any decent hotel in Yangon will have a list of taxis that they recommend to their guests. While my driver did not speak English very well, the car was clean and comfortable and he had done the Bago tour before and knew where to go! The air-conditioning was also a plus. It was nice to come back to it and drive to the next location after an hour of wandering round in the heat.
Enjoy your visit!