Lawkananda Pagoda, Buddhist pagoda on Ayeyarwady River, Bagan, Myanmar.
The cylindrical dome of the pagoda rises from an octagonal base with three tiers, featuring detailed flower patterns across its white and gold structure.
King Anawrahta constructed the Lawkananda Pagoda in 1059 to house a replica of Buddha's tooth relic obtained from Sri Lanka during his reign.
Two mythological lion statues known as Chinthes protect the stairways leading to the pagoda, following traditional Burmese architectural elements.
The pagoda remains open from sunrise to sunset, requiring visitors to remove shoes before entering and maintain appropriate dress standards.
During the annual July festival, local merchants set up food stalls and handicraft exhibitions near the pagoda grounds despite the heavy rainfall season.
Location: Bagan
GPS coordinates: 21.12722,94.85056
Latest update: March 7, 2025 04:56
Myanmar offers photographers an exceptional range of subjects, from ancient temple complexes to natural landscapes. The archaeological zone of Bagan, with more than 2,000 pagodas and temples spread across 40 square miles (104 square kilometers), ranks among Southeast Asia's most significant historical sites. The golden Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, its central stupa rising 325 feet (99 meters), dominates the skyline of the former capital. At Inle Lake, photographers document the daily life of locals who propel their boats with a distinctive leg-rowing technique, along with floating gardens and villages built on stilts. The country's temple architecture appears in various forms: the white Ananda Temple in Bagan from the 11th century, the Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay with its 729 marble slabs inscribed with Buddhist texts, or the 2,478 stupas at Kakku in Shan State. U Bein Bridge near Amarapura, a 0.75-mile (1.2-kilometer) teak bridge built in 1850, draws photographers especially at sunrise and sunset. Natural formations such as the limestone caves at Pindaya containing thousands of Buddha statues, or the Golden Rock at Kyaiktiyo appearing to balance on a cliff edge, expand the photographic possibilities. Beyond the well-known sites, other compelling subjects emerge: the colonial character of Mawlamyaing, the limestone mountains around Hpa-an, the 2,417-foot (737-meter) Mount Popa with its monastery atop a volcanic plug, or Gokteik Viaduct, a 2,260-foot (689-meter) railway bridge from the British colonial period. The 590-foot (180-meter) reclining Buddha statue Win Sein Taw Ya near Mawlamyaing and the monumental Buddha statues at Monywa demonstrate the scale of religious art in the country. The beaches at Ngapali on the west coast provide contrast to the cultural and historical sites in the interior.
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