Temples and Pagodas of Bagan

                                                                                                                                                 Gerd Eichmann

Wooden Figure in Shwezigon Pagoda

During the Pagan Kingdom's heyday, the Bagan Plains had some 10,000 Buddhist monasteries, temples, and pagodas.  Today around two thousnd remain.  We visited five of these, shown on the map,  that were within a 5 km striking distance of our lodging.  Some contained genuine treasures such as the wooden figure above.  All were interesting.

After lunch we visited a lacquerware shop to see it made on the spot.

Ananda Temple was so large I almost got lost in its maze of halls and chambers.  During World War II the local Burmese sought shelter in the temples from the Japanese armies.  Generally, even in Rangoon, the Japanese did not destroy the Buddhist temples.