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Monywa Destinations

Monywa is a city located 136km from Mandalay, on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.

Population: about 230,000 people

Highlight: Buddha architecture

Major tourist attraction: Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya

The major tourist attraction in Monywa is Thanboddhay Pagoda , a Buddhist temple with a huge stupa resembling Indonesia's Borobudur. It dates from 1303, although it was reconstructed in 1939. But contains over 500,000 images of Buddha. Close by is the Maha Bodhi Tahtaung Laykyun Sekkya standing Buddha statue, the tallest statue in the world, with 115,82 metres (at a total of 129.23 metres, including pedestal). This is the focal point of a sprawling site filled with Buddha statues, bodhi trees, and pagodas, established by the Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung Sayadaw in the 1960s. It includes also a 95-metre long reclining Buddha statue

Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya

How to get here?

Monywa is served by the Mandalay-Budalin branch railway line, but is best reached by bus as the road from Mandalay is in reasonably good shape, River transport on the Chindwin has always been important as it is navigable for 640 km (400 mi) to Hkamti during the monsoon season,

About Monywa

Monywa is a major centre for trade and commerce and for agricultural produce from the surrounding Chindwin valley, especially beans, orange, pulses and jaggery (palm sugar), In addition, the local industry includes mills for the production of cotton, flour, noodles, and edible oils. Sausages from Alon called wet udaunk are quite popular, and Budalin longyi (sarong) is known for the strength of the fabric and its checked patterns. Monywa's rough cotton blankets are famous throughout Myanmar (with Monywa providing 80% of the country's blankets for a century) , Black market goods from India, especially saris and bicycle parts, pass through Monywa on their way to other parts of Myanmar.

Climate: Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although the winter months (December - February) are milder. The pre-monsoon months from March to May are especially hot, with average maximum temperatures reaching 38 °C (100 °F). There is a winter dry season (November - April) and a summer wet season (May - October).