Just outside the North of downtown, Mandalay Hill which summit is 230 m above the surrounding plain is the natural watch-tower for the visitors to watch sunrise or sunset over the city plains. Every one who arrived in Mandalay, the ancient capital of Myanmar, usually goes to Mandalay Hill, the landmark of Mandalay, which overlooks the city. At the bottom in front of the southwest entrance are the two immense statue of Lions guard the holy hill.
If you drive by car from the archway of Mandalay hill, you will reach the entrance of escalator of the hill. From there, you can proceed to the top of the Mandalay hill by escalator and pay homage to Su Taung Pyi Pagoda,means wish-granting Pagoda, built by King Anawratha in 414 Myanmar Era.It was patronized and renovated by successive KonBaung Kings. You can study documentary photos of Mandalay hill on the platform of Pagoda.
Moreover, the stairways are being constructed from the bottom to top of the hill which you can climb at ease and rest as you go up the stairway. There is a saying that if you want to live long, you take refuge in the environs of Mandalay hill. It means that as climbing to the Mandalay hill on foot is good for health.
And to pay homage to the pagoda along the way makes one live long.
You can pay homage to prominent pagodas along the stairway of Mandalay Hill. Besides, you can visit the shops of Myanma traditional handmade toys, gifts such as beads.If you reach the top of the hill, you can pay homage to Su Taung Pyi Pagoda. Moreover, you can view the elegant craftsmanship with two Snakes raising the hoods up.
History
During the time when Buddha was alive while on one of his visits to Myanmar, the Buddha with his disciple Ananda climbed Mandalay Hill and prophesied that a great city would be founded below the hill and also pointed the place of that future city.
Then a huge standing Buddha image was built at the place where Buddha stood, with his hand pointing to the Royal Palace. The legend has it that the Buddha, on his visit, had made a prophecy that a great city would be founded at the foot of this hill.
Environment
The dominant natural feature of Mandalay is its 790 ft (240 m) Mandalay Hill, which towers above the city and the flat plain below.
Virtually all visitors and pilgrims to Mandalay either climb the 1,729 steps of the covered southern stairway with its magnificent guardian chinthe (half-lion, half-dragon) at the entry, use stairways on the other sides or use easier means and take the escalator, cars or buses to the top.
From its top, and from several way stations along the ascent, one has a magnificent panorama of the city, the old Royal Palace and Fortress, as well as the Ayeyarwady river and the distant Shan Hills
As Mandalay hill looks like a natural tower, you can enjoy the panoramic views of Mandalay and its environs from there. Sagaing Hill, Ayeyarwady River and Mingun in the west and Yankin hill, YaeTa Khun Hill in the east can be enjoyed with pleasure.In the evening, the platform of Mandalay Hill’s Su Taung Pyi Pagoda is crowded with tourists and devotees who record the beauty of sunset.If you visit Mandalay, the ancient capital of Myanmar, we invite you to enjoy the natural beauty of Mandalay hill not very far from the capital and to pay homage the prominent pagodas there.
Sutaungpyi Pagoda
The pagoda and its ancillary pavilion are located near the top of Mandalay Hill, the holy hill from which the Buddha reportedly predicted that a great religious city would emerge at its base. It is suggested that the pagoda was originally built by the great builder of Bagan, King Anawratha, in 1052. This "wish-granting" pagoda was often renovated by its patrons, the Konbaung kings, in later years. Perhaps the most famous of the renovators of the religious structures on Mandalay Hill was U Khan Dee. the famous and legendary "Hermit on the Hill", who spent 41 years of his life on the hill raising funds for many structures, including Sutaungpyai, where he spent many years.
