Mingun
Rick Schellen

Mingun is located about 11 km (7 miles) upstream from Mandalay on the western bank of the river and is only accessible by a river-trip. The best way to reach it is by a 45 minute boat trip from the city. Tourist boats depart every morning at 9 am and return 4 hours later.

The trip to Mingun is as enjoyable as sightseeing around the town itself. Taking the trip provides the visitor with an excellent opportunity to observe the simple village lifestyles of the Burmese people as they go about their daily business. The journey is also quite picturesque, with many opportunities for interesting photographs along the way. The observant visitor may truly gain a deeper insight into the lives of average humble Burmese countryfolk.

You can see many traditional Burmese bamboo houses on the banks of the river and in verdant fields in the distance. On the river itself you may see many women doing their daily washing in the river on floating platforms while their children play nearby. You may also see all kinds of boats in the area, some of which are not often seen in other areas. In the fields nearby, you might catch an occasional glimpse of locals ploughing the fields using antiquated eighteenth century style ploughs dragged along by oxen. Oxen and cart are the usual means of transport in the town as they are in much of the entire surrounding area.

Upon reaching the arrival jetty, there is a small fee (about $3) to enter the town but it is a small price to pay for the many items of interest you may see therein. 

Mingun Paya Pagoda (Mantara Gyi Pagoda) - The Unfinished Pagoda

Although Mingun is not specifically known for its pagodas, it is home to one or two that are of particular interest. Overlooking the Ayeyarwady River, you may see the incomplete Mantara Gyi Pagoda, which is sometimes also known as Mingun Pagoda or “The Unfinished Pagoda”.

King Bodawpaya’s original plan was for it to become the largest zedi in the world. Unfortunately instead, it now stands as possibly one of the largest piles of bricks on the planet. The planned height of the pagoda had been a massive 530 feet. It stands instead at less than a third of its intended height at a 162 feet (50 metres); still impressive but obviously not the huge landmark it was first envisioned to become.

Work on the pagoda began in 1790. Slaves and prisoners of war were set to work realising the king’s vision. Obviously none of the king’s offspring shared his vision for the pagoda because work on the pagoda was halted in 1813 and did not continue after his death in 1819. The pagoda was damaged by earthquakes in 1838 and the upper levels of the pagoda collapsed into the base. In addition, the solid base split as a result of the earthquakes creating huge cracks.

Although the pagoda remained unfinished, it is nevertheless still quite impressive and definitely worth visiting. The structure with its huge 95 feet high chinthes (“mythical lions”) with nine feet wide eyes at the front of the monument, are testament to the architectural skills of the Amarapura era. You must enter the pagoda bare-foot, so a climb to the top is not easy. It is however worth the effort as there are quite spectacular views of the Hsinbyume Paya and Mingun village and the river to be seen from the top.

One may also look at a 5 metre high model of the Mingun Paya which allows visitors to see what the pagoda would have looked like had it been completed. This model pagoda is referred to as the Pondaw Paya. Downstream from the model is the Settamra Pagoda, built in 1811 to enshrine a footprint of the Buddha which was brought to Mingun by King Bodapwpaya.

Mingun Bell

Mingun’s main claim to fame is the fact that it is home to the world’s largest uncracked ringing bell, known as the Mingun Bell. The bell is located near the Mingun Cedi on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River facing Mandalay. It was originally intended to be a fixture to the huge Mantara Gyi Pagoda but never made it there given that the pagoda was never completed. It was placed in new tazaung (“supports”) close to the riverboat landing after the original supports were damaged by the 1838 earthquake.

Cast on the small island of Alei Kyun near Mingun on the orders of King Bodawpaya, the bell took three years to make. Casting commenced in 1808 and was completed in 1811. Although it was first estimated to weigh about 80 tons, a more likely weight based on calculations is a hefty 90.5 tons (55,555 viss). The bell is made of bronze, but it is said that the Buddhist smiths also added gold, silver and jewellery to the bronze while they were casting the bell.

The bell is 12 feet high (11 feet 6 inches internally) and the diameter of the mouth is 16 feet. Its thickness varies between 6 inches and 12 inches. The Guinness Book of Records of 1982 mentions the Mingun Bell as being the “Largest functioning Bell in the World” (page 238). Its weight is given as 101.4 tons. There is supposedly a larger bell in the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow but it is cracked.

Visitors are welcome to strike the bell three times for luck. In order to have good luck from the bell, it is said that you must strike it an odd number of times. Many people actually climb inside the bell and get others to strike the bell while they are inside.

 Hsinbyume Pagoda

Also known as the Mya Thein Dan Pagoda, this splendid, circular, white pagoda was built just north of the Mingun Pagoda in 1816 by King Bagyidaw in memory of one of his wives, princess Hsinbyume. The pagoda is based on the famous mythical Sulamani stupa on top of Mount Meru. Surrounding the stupa are beautifully crafted undulating terraces that lead to the central stupa. They represent the oceans that surround Mount Meru. The upper terraces are representative of the seven lesser mountain ranges below Mount Meru.

In the pagoda, there is a large Buddha image at the top of a steep beautifully decorated staircase as well as a small chamber which may be accessed by a tripartite staircase descending eastwards. The pagoda was damaged in 1838 by earthquake but was rebuilt in 1874 by King Mindon.