Things to see and do Bagan

This temple is undoubtedly the most famous and most visited in Bagan. Its restoration, completed in 2014, has been very successful and is restoring the site to its former splendour. The Ananda Temple is the culmination in terms of architecture of the first period of Bagan. Built by Kyanzittha, it is considered to be the finest and most imposing of its kind. It is characterized by its Greek cross plan, which will be repeated in other buildings. You will not be the only one to visit it, far from it: it is an obligatory point of passage for foreign tourists and Burmese pilgrims. On festival days, especially the Full Moon, thousands of Burmese camp around it. Atmosphere guaranteed. Note the many green enamelled ornaments on the bases and terraces of the monument depicting scenes of jataka and figures of the army of Mara, the demon of Buddhism. On the western part of the base, the monsters are depicted, and on the eastern part there are devas rejoicing at Buddha's victory over Mara. The four upper terraces are decorated with 389 scenes depicting the last ten jataka. On the lower terraces, each jataka is represented by a scene accompanied by a Mon inscription. Its corridors are remarkable: decorated with statues embedded in niches.

Ananda Ok-kyaung: A brick monastery located to the right of the main entrance to the Ananda Temple. It dates from 1775, the end of the decline of classical art and the revival of Burmese inspired architecture.

In Pwasaw, built by Narapatitsithu in 1196. The Dhammayansika temple is erected not far from New Bagan. Looking a little like the Shwezigon, its stūpa is surmounted by a golden bell, and its terraces are decorated with five small temples. The view was magnificent there, at the time when people were still climbing on the temples. Today, it can be admired from below in the morning light, revealing all its splendour! Its magnificent architecture, between brick and gilding, in different sizes and on different floors, makes it the best temple in the New Bagan area.

Just south-east of Old Bagan, set back from the road, this temple, which is still not much visited, is probably our favourite. Never restored, its monumental mass makes it one of the largest and, if fully restored, probably the highest of all the temples in Bagan. But these places are cursed. Legend has it that King Narathu ordered its construction in the 12th century as a penance for the assassination of his father and brother. During the construction, he was particularly sensitive to the fact that the joints between the bricks were extremely fine. Go ahead, check it out, it's amazing! And the workers who did not do a sufficiently satisfactory job had their hands cut off as they left the temple. You can see at the entrance of the temple the holes in which they had to place their arm and wait for their sentence ... Narathu was murdered, and the center of the temple compiled of stones and bricks and closed forever.

Today, as you walk down the alleys of the huge galleries, you will hear the sound of bats, the only inhabitants of the place, and a strange atmosphere takes over this temple at dusk. A word of advice, go at sunset. There is absolutely no one around, and the last rays of sunlight enter the west gate, revealing beautiful rural paintings. A magical place, full of emotions without any doubt, which we hope will remain as it is. And fortunately, now that Bagan is officially listed as a World Heritage Site, people believe in it.

This magnificent pyramid-temple belongs to the same category as Sulamani. It is one of the few buildings in Bagan to be illuminated at night. It is then called: The jewel of Bagan. In Old Bagan, let yourself be inspired by the most monumental and frequented pagodas or venture among the small ruined temples, the forests of stupas, or the pagodas under restoration, they were numerous after the earthquake, scattered on the dunes. The must-see: Ananda, of course, Thatbyinnyu, Bupaya, Mahabodhi and Shwe-gu-gyi.

The Shwesandaw Pagoda was built in 1057 by King Anawrahta. Slightly damaged by the earthquake, its cylindrical bell topped by rings has undergone some repairs. Below the height of the five terraces, two additional octagonal bases serve as a reliquary for Buddha's hair, obtained from Bago. However, due to Baganese wealth, some constructions are an exception to the models of classical Baganese architecture. Once the ideal place to watch the sunset, it is now forbidden to climb the temples!

Nan Paya is a temple built of brick and covered with sandstone, contemporary of the Nagayon temple. Erected by King Manuha, damned king of Thaton, in the second half of the 11th century. Some claim that it was the place of detention of King Manuha, who was captured by Anawratha at the same time as he seized the Buddhist scriptures. The small temple is surrounded by Mon-style windows, then at the base of the tower, three windows gently illuminate the interior of the Nanpaya temple, a name literally meaning "temple, palace".

Built a few years before the fall of the kingdom of Bagan. At the end of the 13th century, in 1284. Among the later monuments built in the kingdom of Pagan, the Mingalazedi pagoda marks the culmination of Burmese architecture. Note the varnished jataka on its terraces, the small pagodas at the four corners and the shape of the kalasa pot. At the top of the third terrace, four large conical stupas can be seen, giving a slender shape to the whole, which is completed by a pinnacle above the zedi. Of great beauty.

Better known as the Temple of Htilominlo, this majestic architectural work was built by Nadaungnya in the early 13th century, making it one of the last major works in Bagan. A large bell rests on four square terraces at each corner of which hollow temples are erected, each housing a brick and stucco Buddha. Its ochre colour then comes to find all its beauty in the soft lights of dawn or the glowing red lights of the falling evening and the sun setting over the ruins.

Built in 1059, once again during the reign of King Anawrahta, the Lawkananda Pagoda consists of a tall cylindrical bell similar in shape to the stūpas pyu. Lawkananda literally means "joy of the world": what a positive message to visit this beautiful temple. A real and beautiful drop of gold is deposited there. The golden dome then rests on three octagonal terraces, the two lowest of which are accessible by four wide staircases. In May 2003, a new crown adorned with jewels was hoisted to its summit.

It is said that King Anawratha, again, erected it with the intention of redeeming himself from the assassination, in battle, of his predecessor and half-brother Sokkade. Characteristic for its low terraces and its almost cylindrical bell-shaped dome, the Myin Ka Ba pagoda has this particular interest. Its village of the same name is above all the stronghold of the region's craftsmen: from sand paintings to lacquerware. Crockery and other bamboo boxes are then meticulously covered with 14 layers of lacquer.