When you travel Mandalay, make sure you take a ferry Mingun.
The ferry to Mingun leaves every morning from Mandalay at about 9 o’ clock. It only runs once a day so you better make sure to be on time. After about 10 km up river we made it to Mingun, a town that is home to a few very interesting attractions. First there is the huge Mingun Pahtodawgyi Pagoda. The unfinished pagoda would have been the largest in the world if the king of that time would have not decided to stop building. An astrologer told him that he would die once the stupa is finished. With its big cracks from an earthquake, the construction still is so massive and most impressive.
Only about 200 meters away is beautiful Hsinbyume Pagoda. This pagoda is very distinctive in style – all white and decorated with very intricate designs on the outside. It is very different from any of the other temples and pagodas I had seen so far. Inside the pagoda a lot of little details caught my eye which made the place even more fascinating.
The last thing Mingun features is the world’s largest ringing bell. It was cast for the huge stupa and because of the unfinished work was never put to work. The bell weighs more than 90 tons only surpassed by a bell in Russia which isn’t functioning though.
