Mandalay Hill

Opening time: all day long.
Entry fee: covered in the through ticket of Mandalay Pass which charges US$10, extra 500 kyats for taking photos.

Mandalay Hill is a famous Buddhism hill in Myanmar, after which the city of Mandalay is named. Though only stands 236 meters high, Mandalay Hill is the highest in the city which is home to more than 1000 Buddhism pagodas, including the famous Eight Pagodas of Mandalay, let alone countless Buddha statues.

Mandalay Hill is bypassed by the mother river of Myanmar, Irrawaddy River, and from the hill foot, tourists can reach the top by climbing the 1700 steps. On the top of the hill is a Hindu temple, which is circled by square pillars with inlaid glass patterns. These pillars are dazzling and glittering under the sun, and connected each other by brackets, consisting a cut-through corridor. Many a local people reach the hill top to devoutly worship the fetish of Hindu, the shape of a cobra with a golden ring above.

Standing on the top of Mandalay hill, visitors can enjoy a gorgeous 360-degree view of the entire Mandalay and surrounding countryside.

Tips: It is a must to take off shoes to climb Mandalay Hill to show respect to Buddha. If you are not used to walk on barefoot, elevator is a good choice, but by which way you will miss the monasteries and Buddha statues along the way.