U Min Thonze Temple is hill top temple in Sagaing near to Mandalay. For the journey from Mandalay we recommend that you hire a taxi. U Min Thonze Temple is at the top of steep hill and you cannot get there by public transport. During your visit we recommend that see Kaunghmudaw Pagoda and the other temples on Sagaing Hill at the same time as they relatively close by.
About U Min Thonze Temple
U Min Thonze Temple is believed to have been founded during the reign of King Tarabya I (1327 to 1336). The temple was, however, extensively renovated in 1847 and no one really knows how much the renovation altered the original appearance of the temple. The temple is dedicated to the Thervada branch of Buddhism.
Buddha statues in U Min Thonze TempleThe most striking feature of U Min Thonze Temple is its corridor like cave in the side of the hill. The cave has 30 elaborate entrance arches and inside a beautifully tiled cavern are 45 identical statues of the Lord Buddha. This impressive space is a bout 100 metres long. Around the cave are more shrines and stupas. Before you leave from the U Min Thonze Temple we recommend that you walk above the cave to the top of the hill for the views. From U Min Thonze Temple you get great view of the Irrawaddy river and the plains stretching towards Mandalay City. This location is believed to have chosen to replicate the mountain top temples of Northern India and the meditation retreats contained within those mountain top temples.
Location of U Min Thonze Temple
- U Min Thonze Temple is 23.9 km by road from Mandalay Railway Station.
Travel to Sagaing Hill
U Min Thonze Temple is in Sagaing, which is small town near to Mandalay. For long distance journeys to Sagaing you will need to travel via Mandalay:
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