Monuments to visit Myanmar - Burma

U bein is the longest teak deck in Burma. It crosses Lake Taungthamanle for about 1,300 metres. If you have the courage to get up around 5 am, dawn is surely the best time: The morning mist surrounds the bridge with mysticism and the sunrise is all the more beautiful as there is nobody around except the locals who cross the bridge to go to work. Romantic people will prefer to enjoy the quietness of the end of the day and a sunset, sipping a beer under a straw hut on arrival.

Daytime market. You will find there longyi and fabrics of Myanmar, but also all the usual objects of life made of straw: mats, baskets, hats. It is also the occasion to do your survival shopping if you embark for Mandalay.

Scenes... of fish. In the small streets behind the Strand Road, women dry and empty the fish on the road at the end of the day.

Night market. Between 7pm and 9pm, life comes to life on the main street for a few hours, rather the occasion to taste delicious skewers or soups. Very pleasant.

Between 19:00 and 21:00, the life comes alive in the main street for a few hours, quite an opportunity to taste delicious brochettes or soups. Very pleasant.

Located in the heart of the village, the Mingun bell is the largest working bell in the world. The one in Moscow is even bigger, but cracked... Just for that alone, it's worth a little detour around here. It was melted down in 1808 and floated away. It fell in the earthquake, but was rebuilt by the British. All Burmese will tell you about the bell if you show interest in Mingun. And for good reason, it is the main attraction of the city. You can't miss it.

They are an entertainment centre and local scenes interesting for the traveller.

Bago has one of the longest reclining Buddhas in Burma: 16 m high and 55 m long. Represented with open eyes and fanned toes: resting position. Behind its scrap metal construction, the image, protected only since 1906, has been particularly damaged in the course of history. Erected in 996, first renovated by Dhammazedi and then abandoned again, it was not until 1880 that the Buddha was rediscovered and cleared of wild grasses.

Southwest of Monywa, you have to leave the city to find this piece of nature and spirituality. It is actually a hill covered with banyans which have the particularity of having an image of Buddha on each of their feet. One comes here to walk between the Buddha statues, as if through a sacred forest. And know that you can also see the second highest Buddha statue in the world. Decidedly, what grandiose monuments!

A somewhat unusual visit: here you are in front of Parliament. Thirty-one structures make up the country's parliament. Impressive even from the outside! If you are interested, guided tours can be arranged at least 10 days in advance through hotels and tour operators ([email protected]). From here you can also admire the vast car-free motorway! Twelve lanes in total, with no traffic! How strange!