Mingun Pagoda or the Mingun Pahtodawgyi

Mingun Pahtodawgyi lies in Mingun, Sagaing Division. It is one of the famous monuments in the world. It was one of the big fours built by King Bodawpaya around the place. It was built on the fifth waxing day of Tabodwe of 1152 ME, around 1791. But it was left unfinished due to a prophesy that, once the pagoda was completed, the country would break.

Had it been completed, it would have a height of some 500 feet and it would have been a wonder. It was stopped at 162 feet height. Its girth is about 450 feet. Pondawya Pagoda which is prototype of Mingun Pahtodawgyi. You can study Myanmar arts and crafts of Kongbaung period in Mingun Pahtodawgyi. King Bodawpaya built Mingun Pahtodawgyi aiming to worship from Shwebo in the distance where he has ascended the throne. The pagoda was left unfinished. Two enormous prominent statues of lions in Mingun, one of the tourist atttractions is at the east stairway of Pahtodawgyi which faces the Ayeyawaddy river.From here, you can also enjoy natural scenic beauty of Ayeyawady river and green and pleasant Mingun hill. If this pagoda been completed, then it would have been the largest monument. This unfinished structure was badly damaged with cracks by the earthquake of 1838 but it is still the largest brick base in the world.