Port Mandalay#

For the determination of important dates astrologists are still in high esteem in Myanmar. In old times they even used to determine the perfect place for the capital. This became too much effort in the 19th century, for the stars seemed to want the royal household and the whole inhabitants to move around constantly. At first Sagaing was elected seat of power, soon thereafter Inwa became capital, then Amarapura, some years later Inwa again, then Amarapura once again and eventually Mandalay – and all of these royal cities were located in the vicinity of only 20 km of each other. Today tourism managers rejoice because hardly anywhere else so many stone pagodas can be visited as here. Only the royal palaces built of teak wood have left now trace. They have all fallen victim to the flames. Mingun however literally formed a proper stronghold of stability. Located 11 km north of Mandalay, the world’s largest pagoda was supposed to be built here in 1790.