Bagan - the majestic and melancholy ruined capital

Impressions of the ancient capital

Mentioning Bagan is mentioning the most precious and brilliant ancient things on the Myanmar tourism map. After 25 years of efforts to be on the nomination list, in July 2019, UNESCO officially recognized Bagan as a World Cultural Heritage.

With an area of ​​over 40 km²Located on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River, Bagan was once the ancient capital of the Pagan Dynasty from the 9th to the 13th century. The thousands of pagodas and towers that remain today are ancient evidence of a period when Buddhism flourished on this land. Through many historical ups and downs, time has engulfed Bagan in dust and smoke, sweeping away all the splendor of a thousand years of ancient history, leaving only the bright sunlight on the old brick foundations. I came to Bagan like that, during the hot air balloon season to admire the vast horizons of this beautiful but melancholy, slow land.

There is no winter in Bagan, people come to Bagan to chase the sunlight every dawn and dusk. As far as the eye can see are moss-covered temples, old horse-drawn carriages with a layer of dust in the air, the sound of ox-drawn carts breaks the solitude of the space, visitors seem to slow down to enjoy more deeply the peaceful, simple beauty of the majestic capital.

The Golden Land of Bagan is famous for its several ancient pagodas and many “must-see” temples. First is Shwezigon Pagoda – which in Burmese means “temple on the sand dunes” and is a reference to the 11th-century construction of the pagoda. Legend has it that King Anawrahta used a white elephant with a Buddha bone relic on its front and declared that wherever the elephant stopped to rest, a pagoda would be built, and eventually the elephant stopped at a sand dune – that is where Shwezigon was built.

With the sacred meaning of containing the relics of Buddha Shakyamuni, Shwezigon Pagoda has been preserved and restored by the local people for more than 1,000 years. The most prominent feature of the pagoda's architecture is the gilded stupa in the middle, which is extremely brilliant and magical when the sunlight shines on it. This is also the prototype for the large pagodas of Myanmar that were built later.

Next is Dhammayangyi - the largest temple of all the temples in Bagan, located in the middle of a vast field with a characteristic red brick color, towering as if it wanted to overwhelm all the surrounding temples. Dhammayangyi is not only special because of its almost unique pyramid shape in Bagan, but legend also says that this temple has not been completed yet, even though it has cost up to 6 million bricks. But that does not make the temple less attractive because of its grandeur and mystery, which has become more and more dense over time.

Not far from Dhammayangyi, one will see the tallest temple in Bagan - Thatbyinnyu Temple - built by King Alaung Sithu in 1144 with an architecture that resembles a Renaissance Christian monastery more than a Buddhist temple. The exterior of Thatbyinnyu is completely whitewashed, and is also the most recognizable feature in the Bagan relic complex. Inside, in addition to the artistic murals, the statues are all gilded with sparkling gold, making the reputation of the temple which in ancient Burmese means "Place of the Omniscient One".

Traveling throughout Bagan, one will encounter Ananda Temple - the most perfectly balanced in terms of architecture, Gawdawpalin Temple, the second tallest in Bagan, built in the 11th century, Sulamani Temple, the most prominent red brick temple when reflecting the morning and afternoon sunlight, or Shwesandaw Temple, known as the most beautiful sunset viewing spot in Bagan with its terraced architecture for visitors to climb up. Overlapping in the lush green trees and bright yellow sunlight, more than 2,000 Bagan pagoda and tower sites spread across the plains, lulling people back to a pure golden memory.

Bagan from above

Tourists are not only moved and love Bagan by the moments of visiting pagodas and towers, walking barefoot on the stone floors and touching the thousand-year-old memories that remain until today, but also moved by the vastness and peace that stretches before their eyes when flying over the land of Buddha. The hot air balloons slowly rising from the ground, slowly drifting with the wind in the early morning sunlight have long become an iconic image when mentioning Bagan in particular and Myanmar in general.

The annual hot air balloon season lasts 6 months, from the beginning of October to the end of April of the following year. Every morning, hot air balloon flights start at 5am. The flight companies come to each hotel to pick up tourists, take them to the gathering area, and explain the rules to follow when flying. The hot air balloon takes off and flies over Bagan to welcome the sunrise for about 45 minutes, then lands at the gathering area. Tourists raise their glasses of wine to welcome the new day and congratulate themselves on having an unforgettable experience in their lives!

Our morning flight went like that with Captain Galvin - the "conductor" responsible for controlling the group's balloon. With the help of the ground crew, waiting for us to settle in the basket and follow the safety procedures, Captain Galvin slowly released the anchor hook and fired all four gas guns at the balloon, the balloon lifted up and rhythmically rose higher. According to Bagan tourism regulations, balloons are not allowed to fly directly over the roofs of temples. Therefore, the pilots had to fly very skillfully and accurately, at the same time giving a brief introduction to tourists each time they flew over the famous temple clusters.

“I don’t remember how many seasons I flew, how many pagodas and towers I passed, how many sunrises I watched; but I remember the excitement of riding the first wind of the day and saying goodbye to the peaceful Bagan dawn from above, which is more peaceful than a fairy tale!” - Captain Galvin shared while taking us to catch up with the legendary sunrise.

From above, thousands of small and beautiful temples appear like models, the orange sunlight gradually deepens from the horizon, penetrating the morning mist, painting Bagan magically and spectacularly.

Galvin cut the flame and let our balloon drift low. We saw the locals working in the fields, the green farmlands and neat furrows. It all painted a picture of peaceful, dreamy nostalgia.

In the exciting moments, in addition to enthusiastically watching and taking pictures, we also waved to other groups on neighboring balloons and tourists standing on the high hills who were also welcoming the brilliant sunrise. After landing, everyone was still elated. Flying a hot air balloon in Bagan can be considered the most wonderful and unique experience for those who love the grand scenery in the quiet spaciousness, because up here the wind is silent!

More information

Visa:Being part of the ASEAN bloc, Myanmar has exempted visas for Vietnamese tourists, allowing entry for 14 days.

Trip:Direct flights from Hanoi/HCMC to Yangon cost around 3 million VND round trip, the flight time is very nice because it always flies in the afternoon and lands around 18 hours.

Transportation:The most optimal and economical way to get from Yangon to Bagan is by night bus, you will arrive in Bagan around 6am after 9 hours of travel. You should choose famous bus companies such as JJ Express, Khaing Mandalay which have VIP sleeper buses, high quality air conditioning, in addition to wide seats, warm blankets, snacks, drinks, wifi, mini screens and charging ports for the convenience of passengers. Tickets can be purchased online for about 12-15 USD/way.

In Bagan, you can rent an electric bike or ride a horse-drawn carriage to slowly explore this land; or you can rent a car with a driver who also doubles as a tour guide to take you around Bagan for no more than 40 USD/day.

Accommodation:Bagan is divided into 3 areas: Old Bagan, New Bagan and Nyaung-U town. Each of these areas has many convenient hotels and guesthouses, but Old Bagan has the highest room rates, while Nyaung-U has cheaper prices. The peak tourist season in Bagan falls in the last months of the year, so you need to book a room at least a month in advance to have a suitable choice.

Cuisine: Burmese food is delicious and cheap, around 3-5 USD/meal/person. Some small restaurants in the temples of Bagan also specialize in vegetarian food. Don’t forget to try Burmese milk tea.

Money:Kyat is the currency of Myanmar, 1 kyat is worth about 16 dong.

Other notes:

- Visitors will be required to dress modestly, remove shoes, and go barefoot when entering temples.

If you don’t want to go hot air ballooning, visit the 12-story Nan Myint Viewing Tower for a panoramic view of Bagan. Ticket price: 5 USD/person, with two entrances at sunrise and sunset.

Ngo Quang Minh