IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Visiting Hours:
8.00 AM to 8.00 PM
Entrance Fee:
K 10,000 for foreigners.
Pro tip:
To avoid crowd and heat visit by 9.00 AM.
Dress Code:
As with all monasteries, tourists are recommended to dress decently. Knees and shoulders should be covered.
HOW TO GET THERE
Located in Mandalay, the Shwenandaw Monastery is just a few hundred meters away from the Royal Palace. The Atumashi Pagoda is also nearby.
GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY (SHWENANDAW KYAUNG MONASTERY)
Fondly known as Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery by the locals, this monastery boasts intricate carvings of motifs and mythical creatures on the wooden surface of the building.This place was once the living quarters of King Mindon who constructed the Mandalay Palace in 1857 which is also known as the last royal palace of the Burmese monarchy.
After King Mindon’s death in 1878, his successor King Theebaw took over and ordered the monastery to be moved away from the palace to the location where it resides today.
This monastery is what was left of the palace after World War II, making this place even more precious to the government and locals due to its historical value.
The monastery once looked majestic with the thick gold layer covering the building. However, only the gold in the monastery’s interior remined intact due to the harsh weather conditions that slowly eroded the exterior gold layer. A strong teak platform surrounds the monastery and is supported on wooden pillars with marble lotus flowers decorated them.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The ideal time to visit Mandalay is between November to February when the temperature is cool and there is very little rainfall.
PHOTO GALLERY
