Shwe-mu-htaw Pagoda

The Shwe Mu Htaw Pagoda is the pride of the town in Pathein, Ayeyarwady Division. It was built by King Thiri Dhamma Thawka in 305 BC. It was seven and a half feet high and four and a half feet in girth. It was then named Shwe Arna. In Sakarit 1115, King Alaung Sithu while stopping in Pathein on his way back from Mizzima Desa, India and Ceylon, built a 36 foot pagoda on the original pagoda, and renamed it Htu-pa-yon, presumably as there were many pagodas named Htu-pa-yon in Bagan at that time.

In Sakarit 1263, King Thamuddagotha and Queen Ommadanti built another pagoda 130 feet high encasing the pagoda. It was renamed Shwe-mu-htaw. Queen Ommadanti also built nine satellite pagodas. Later there were other donors who finally built the pagoda to be 153 feet high and 328 and a half feet in girth, under the name Shwe-mu-htaw Maha Zedidawmyat.