Mandalay Travel Guide - Mandalay Hill Summit

At the summit of Mandalay Hill is the Sutaungpyi Pagoda. Traditionally believed to have been built by King Anawrahta of Bagan dynasty, it was renovated several times by Kongboun kings. Many Myanmar Buddhists believe that whatever you wish for at this pagoda will come true, hence the name Sutaungpyi (wish granting pagoda).

View from Mandalay Hill

View from the terrace of Sutaungpyi Pagoda at the top of Mandalay Hill is outstanding. You can see the whole Mandalay palace, Mandalay city and the whole Mandalay plain. To the east you can see stretches of land up to Shan Plateau. To the north lies the Shwebo Plain. To the west is the Irrawaddy River (Ayeyarwaddy River), Ava Bridge (Sagaing Bridge), newly built Yadanabon Bridge beyond which lies Sagaing Hills dotted with hundreds of white pagodas. Everywhere you see, the view is outstanding. This is a truly panoramic view of Mandalay and middle Burma.

Beyond the Sutaungpyi Pagoda on the Mandalay Hill is the Two Great Snakes Pagoda (Mwae-gyi-nhit-kaung Paya). Legend was that these two big snakes regularly visited the Sutaungpyi Pagoda at the top of Mandalay Hill to pay homage to Gautama Buddha. When they died, they became guardian spirits of the Hill. There were two statues of the snakes above which are two statues of guardian spirits they turned into after their death.

Editor’s Note: Many of the above information has been obtained from our reference book Lonely Planet Guide to Myanmar (Burma). This is a very good guide book on Myanmar, and essential book that you must bring on your trip to Myanmar. The book can be obtained from Amazon store.

Related posts:

1. Mandalay Travel Guide – Mandalay Hill
2. Mandalay Travel Guide – Standing Buddha at Mandalay Hill
3. Mandalay Travel Guide – Mandalay Hill and Peshawar Relics of Gautama Buddha
4. Mandalay Travel Guide – Kuthodaw Pagoda
5. Mandalay Travel Guide – Sandamuni Pagoda