The
Golden Palace Monastery, Shwenandaw Monastery, is one of the oldest buildings in
Mandalay. It was part of the royal
palace when it was at Amarapura, and followed the move of the Amarapura Palace to
Mandalay. The Shwenandaw was then detached from Mandalay Palace and moved to its current site to
become a monastery. Today, the Shwenandaw Monastery building is the sole surviving wooden structure from the palaces of Mandalay and Amarapura.
This teak building preserves and shows of the traditional Myanmarese art and
woodcraft. It is a multi-tiered building
with four distinct Zeitawun roof levels.
The Shwenandaw has many carved panels showcasing stories from the Buddha.
This
video by Wagaung shows off almost all the details of this old wooden building. Look out for the boy monk as he deftly wraps his robe around him with Houdini like moves.
The
Mandalay Palace is a citadel with a collection of buildings in a square, with two
kilometer long walls and surrounded by a moat. Badly damaged in the Second
World War, this royal citadel has been rebuilt.
The Shwenandaw Monastery building, moved out of the Mandalay Palace in 1878, is the
sole surviving structure of the original teak buildings of the Mandalay Palace.
The
Mandalay Palace was actually an older palace from Amarapura. The old palace at
Amarapura was dismantled and moved by elephants to Mandalay. The new Mandalay Palace was completed in 1859.
This palace is a prime example of Myanmarese traditional palace design and is a
delight to view.
Today,
the Mandalay Palace is a primary symbol of Mandalay and a major tourist
destination.
