Page 86 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

84 Yangon and around Around YAngon
1 Twante
• Horribly crowded and uncomfortable pick-ups (K1000; 1hr) run between Dalah and Twante, leaving when full; alternatively,
a motorbike taxi will cost in the region of K4000 one-way, or a taxi will cost around K6000–8000 one-way
For an instant taste of small-town rural life in the Burmese Delta, within an hour of
downtown Yangon, TWANTE is the place to go. Twante is known within Myanmar for
its cotton-weaving and, especially, as a major pottery centre, with workshops scattered
all over town, including the well-known Oh-Bo Pottery Sheds – most workshops are
happy for visitors to drop in and have a look around at their pottery wheels, kilns and
great stacks of bowls. The town’s other main attraction is the fine Shwesandaw Pagoda,
centred on a 76m-high Shwedagon-style stupa.

Baungdawgyoke Pagoda (Snake Temple)
• 6km east of Twante • Daily 8am–8pm • Free
Local motorbike taxi drivers in both Twante and Dalah will probably try to get you on
the back of their bike for a trip to the Baungdawgyoke Pagoda, commonly described as
the “Snake Temple”, just east of Twante. An interesting alternative to your usual
Burmese pagoda, the temple comprises a small shrine in the middle of a square lake,
connected to the shore by four long wooden walkways. The real surprise is inside,
however, where a couple of dozen huge (but harmless) Burmese pythons roam, sliding
around Buddhas and dangling from windows. The snakes are cared for by the temple’s
nuns, who consider them holy – not so surprisingly, given that they’re one of the
world’s five largest snake species, with an average length approaching 4m.

Thanlyin and around
• 15km southeast of Yangon
Southeast of Yangon, across the confluence of the Yangon and Bago rivers, the city of
THANLYIN (formerly known as “Syriam”) has been one of Myanmar’s principal ports for
centuries, pre-dating the much younger city over the water. The town first rose to
prominence in the fifteenth century and was controlled successively by the kingdoms of
Hanthawaddy and Taungoo before (in 1599) falling to a Rakhine attack led by Portuguese
soldier-of-fortune Filipe de Brito e Nicote. Appointed the city’s new governor, De Brito
subsequently declared independence from his Rakhine masters, ruling over Thanlyin until
he was overthrown by soldiers from Taungoo in 1613. De Brito was executed by
impalement, a gruesome punishment reserved for those who had defiled Buddhist shrines.
The imposing Kyaik Khauk Pagoda, on a small hill on the southern side of town, has
fine views over the Yangon River. The impressive stupa is thought to date back to
around 1300 and is claimed to enshrine two Buddha hair relics.
Ye Le Pagoda
• Kyauktan, 15km south of Thanlyin • Daily 6am–8pm • $2, boat crossing $5
South of Thanlyin in the town of KYAUKTAN is the superb Ye Le Pagoda, built on an
island in Hmaw Wun Creek and appearing to float miraculously in the water. The
pagoda’s elaborate collection of shrines includes structures dedicated to Shin Upagot, a
moustachioed, white-turbaned Bo Bo Gyi, and a marble Buddha seated on an extra-
ordinarily detailed golden Lion Throne-style affair, while you can also buy food to offer
to the catfish that splash around the temple. Unfortunately, the fees levied on foreigners
for entrance and the thirty-second boat crossing to the temple are a complete rip-off.

Taukkyan War Cemetery
• Bago Rd, Taukkyan, 15km north of Yangon airport (take any bus heading towards Bago) • Daily 8am–5pm • Free
North of Yangon, in the town of TAUKKYAN, the immaculately maintained Taukkyan

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