U Bein Bridge, Wooden bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
U Bein Bridge is a wooden crossing in Amarapura, Myanmar, that runs 1200 meters across Taungthaman Lake on more than a thousand teak pillars. The planks sit close to the water surface and provide a direct pedestrian route between both shores.
Mayor U Bein commissioned this crossing in 1850 and reused teak timber from the former royal palace after the capital relocated from Amarapura. Since then, the structure has connected two villages and served as an important footpath for people in the region.
Rows of small tea stalls and benches line sections of the teak walkway, where people stop to rest during their crossing. Fishermen paddle their boats below the structure and use the pillars as markers during their daily work on the lake.
The walkway has no railings and can be difficult for visitors with limited mobility, especially when the planks become wet. Early morning or late afternoon offers the best conditions for walking, when the light around the lake is clear.
Workers measured the entire length by walking and counting steps, using their footfalls as a unit to determine spacing between pillars. This simple method resulted in the regular pattern that still supports the structure today.
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