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'Amarapura' (; lit. City of Immortality) is a city in the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, situated 11 km to the south of Mandalay. It is often referred to as 'Taungmyo' (Southern City) in relation to Mandalay but nowadays the two have become continuous from urban sprawl.

King Bodawpaya (1781-1819) of the Konbaung Dynasty founded Amarapura as his new capital in 1783, soon after he ascended the throne. In 1795, he received the first British embassy to Burma from the British East India Company led by Michael Symes ^[1]. Bodawpaya's grandson, King Bagyidaw (1819-1837), moved the Court back to Ava in 1823. Bagyidaw's successor King Tharrawaddy (1837-1846) again moved the royal capital back to Amarapura.^[2]
From 1841-1857, King Mindon (1853-1878) decided to make Amarapura the capital again before relocating to his planned city of Mandalay in 1860. Today little remains of the old city as the palace buildings were dismantled and moved by elephant to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways. Part of the moat is still recognisable near Bagaya Monastery.
The city is known today for its traditional silk and cotton weaving, and bronze casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay.

U Bein Bridge, detail

Contents

Sights of interest

Notes

External links

Sights of interest

★ Pahtodawgyi – A stupa built by King Bodawpaya in 1816 outside the city walls

★ Bagaya Kyaung – a wooden monastery founded by King Mindon

★ U Bein’s Bridge – a 1.2 km wooden footbridge (longest teak bridge in the world) built by the mayor U Bein salvaging the unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay

★ Kyautawgyi Paya – A stupa built by King Pagan in 1847 at the farther end of U Bein's bridge

★ Palace Ruins – containing tombs of King Bodawpaya and King Bagyidaw, and part of the old moat

★ Maha Gandhayon Kyaung - a large modern monastery complex with hundreds of monks and novices, well known throughout the country

★ Chinese Temple - built in 1838 during King Tharrawaddy's reign
In 1800, Buddhist clergy from Sri Lanka obtained higher ordination in this city and founded the Amarapura Nikaya ( Amarapura sect).

Notes

1. An Account of An Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava by Michael Symes 1795, , , , , ,
2. The Konbaung Period - Amarapura by Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Northern Illinois University

External links

★ ''Wanderings in Burma'' George W. Bird, 1897, Southeast Asia Visions

★ Travel information on Amarapura AsiaExplorers

★ Photos of Amarapura Alfred Molon

★ Photographs of Mahagandhayon Monastery Alfred Molon