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Where Is Bagan?

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Quick Answer

Bagan is on the banks of the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar (Burma), home to over 2,000 surviving Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries built between the 9th and 13th centuries.

The Full Story

Bagan (also spelled Pagan) was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would become modern Myanmar. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed on a 104-square-kilometre plain beside the Irrawaddy River. About 2,200 of these structures survive today, creating one of the densest concentrations of Buddhist architecture in the world. King Anawrahta founded the Pagan Empire around 1044 and embraced Theravada Buddhism, commissioning the first great wave of temple construction. The most famous structures include the Ananda Temple (1105), with its four standing Buddha images, Dhammayangyi Temple (the largest), and Shwesandaw Pagoda. The kingdom fell to Mongol invasions around 1287. Bagan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. Hot-air balloon rides at sunrise over the temple-studded plain are among the most iconic tourist experiences in Asia.

Key Facts

1.Over 10,000 Buddhist temples were built in Bagan between the 11th and 13th centuries; about 2,200 survive today across a 104-square-kilometre plain.
2.The Ananda Temple (1105 CE), with its glittering golden spire and four standing Buddha statues, is considered the masterpiece of Bagan architecture.
3.Bagan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, nearly 30 years after its first application was rejected due to controversial government restoration work.

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Suggested video title for this topic:

"Bagan — The Ancient City of 10,000 Temples"