Linking Sagaing and Amarapura are two parallel bridges, each with multiple metal-framed spans. The 16-span 1934 Ava Bridge was partly demolished in 1942 to deny passage to advancing Japanese troops. It wasn’t repaired until 1954. The larger modern Sagaing Bridge, completed in 2005, is a bit of a surprise, considering the relatively rural surroundings of the roadways that access it.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.39 MILES
To get a sense of Mandalay’s pancake-flat sprawl, climb the 760ft hill that breaks it. The walk up covered stairways on the hill's southern slope is a…
7.84 MILES
Every day, thousands of colourfully dressed faithful venerate Mahamuni's 13ft-tall seated buddha, a nationally celebrated image that’s popularly believed…
14.07 MILES
Staring distantly towards Mandalay Palace, temple-topped Yankin Hill is worth climbing for views of greater Mandalay's rice-field setting and of the Shan…
4.37 MILES
The world’s longest teak footbridge gently curves 1300yd across shallow Taungthaman Lake, creating one of Myanmar’s most photographed sites. In dry season…
2.22 MILES
This lovely 1834 teak monastery is Inwa’s most memorable individual attraction. It's supported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60ft high and 9ft in…
8.05 MILES
A meditative departure from the usual Burmese 'douse-it-all-in-gold-and-pastels' aesthetic, this gorgeously carved teak monastery is beloved by tourists…
2.04 MILES
This ‘early offering shrine’ is the most important of the temples on Sagaing Hill’s southern crown and the first you’ll come to on climbing the One Lion…
1.94 MILES
At the foot of the great temple-studded hills of Sagaing, you’ll find this little-visited cave monastery. Supposedly built around the 1670s, Tilawkaguru…
Nearby attractions
0.5 MILES
Directly south of, and almost abutting, the Ava Bridge (on the Mandalay side), this old British fort in a state of picturesque ruin is a good place for an…
0.52 MILES
This gigantic stupa, originally built in 1444, is unusual for having three circular storeys each incorporating arched niches. Across the street, a garden…
0.86 MILES
Werawsana is reputedly the world’s first pagoda built entirely out of jade. It's a sight to behold in the evening, when it radiates a soft green glow that…
0.92 MILES
One of the best places from which to appreciate Sagaing is from across the river at this little bluff with a cascade of small stupas. It’s part of a pair,…
1.05 MILES
Built, unusually, of stucco-covered brick, this 1822 royal monastery temple is a rare survivor from the Ava era. The faded, sturdy structure looks very…
1.06 MILES
This whitewashed pagoda complex, topped with the occasional gold-leafed stupa, dates back to the Bagan period.
1.24 MILES
Located north of the market area, this golden-domed stupa is a helpful landmark.