Chinthe Ruins

Myanmar (Burma)


Across the road from Mingun Paya lie two house-sized brick-and-stucco ruins, damaged in the 1838 earthquake. These are just the haunches of what would have been truly gigantic chinthe (the pagoda's half-lion, half-dragon guardian deities).


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Nearby Myanmar (Burma) attractions

1. Mingun Paya

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Begun in 1790, Mingun Paya would have been the world’s biggest stupa if it had been completed. Work stopped in 1819 when King Bodawpaya died, and at that…

2. Mingun Bell

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3. Pondaw Paya

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To see what Mingun Paya would have looked like had it ever been completed, have a quick look at diminutive Pondaw Paya, 200yd south at the end of the…

4. Hsinbyume Paya

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Built in 1816 by King Bagyidaw, possibly using materials pilfered from Mingun Paya, this unusually striking pagoda rises in seven wavy, whitewashed…

5. Marlar Nwe Market

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6. Flower Market

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7. Chanthaya Paya

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8. Eindawya Paya

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Ranged around a sizeable stupa glowing with gold leaf, Eindawa was founded in 1847 by King Pagan Min, whose princely palace once stood here. The complex…