SHWEMAWDAW PAGODA

In the centre of Bago, otherwise known as Pegou, the Shwemawdaw Pagoda is one of the most revered in Burma. It was originally built by two brother merchants who are said to have enshrined two sacred hairs of Buddha, which he gave them during his lifetime. The pagoda was then raised to 25 m and 27 m by Kings Thamala and Wimala in 825 and 840. Today, it dominates the city from its 114 meters, higher than the Yangon Shwedagon. Covered in gold, it has nothing to envy the capital's masterpiece.

Its architectural originality is its octagonal base, set with a double row of small niches. It is still standing thanks to the stubbornness of the Burmese who have rebuilt it many times. The wind brought down the hti for the first time. Replaced, it fell again during the earthquake of 1912. Today you can see the rubble on the side of the pagoda. The last of the earthquakes, in 1930, was particularly devastating and destroyed the entire pagoda. The last reconstruction of the pagoda only began in 1942 and was completed two years later, thanks to government funding and donations from the population.

The pagoda museum houses images of bronze and stone found in the rubble.

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda festival takes place in March and April and is the occasion for a large fair. Crowds flock there in the evening, attracted by the many stands: Tanakan tree, sandalwood, glaciers, etc..