Shite-thaung Temple, Buddhist temple in Mrauk U, Myanmar.
The temple structure contains a central bell-shaped stupa surrounded by four smaller stupas at each corner with numerous additional smaller stupas throughout the complex.
King Min Bin commissioned the construction of this temple in 1536 following his successful military campaign and conquest of the Bengal region.
The temple corridors display extensive stone carvings depicting 80,000 Buddha images, along with detailed representations of deities, kings, and scenes from Buddhist texts.
The central hall remains accessible to visitors and contains hundreds of Buddha statues, with some remaining in original positions while others relocated from nearby sites.
Three layers of maze-like corridors encircle the main hall, featuring intricate reliefs that combine religious imagery with depictions of local Arakanese daily life.
Location: Mrauk U
Inception: 1536
GPS coordinates: 20.59750,93.19306
Latest update: March 6, 2025 15:20
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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