Mandalay
is the capital of Mandalay division.
It has an area of 36595 sq-km and the population is over 4.6 million.
The present day second Capital of Myanmar after Mandalay is located in the
upper Myanmar about 68 Km due north of Yangon.
A brief introduction of Mandalay (Yadanabon), Myanmar's second capital and a
city of regal identity, famous pagodas, religious edifices, and the
enchanting city of ancient Bagan where visitors will find not only Myanmar
art and culture and handicrafts but also the scenic beauty of Upper Myanmar
and Shan State.
Mandalay (Yadanabon)
Mandalay (Yadanabon), the last capital of the Myanmar Kingdom, is in Central
Myanmar, 688km due north of Yangon. It is the largest city after Yangon and
is the place where one will come closest to real Myanmar.
The Royal City came into being only in 1859 when " King Mindon" established
it as new center for the teaching of Buddhism. The King also made Mandalay
his capital, moving it from nearby Amarapura to the newly built Royal Palace
at the foot of the Mandalay Hill.
Being rich in monasteries and pagodas, it is still accepted as the arts and
cultural heart-land of Myanmar. For lovers of arts and crafts, Mandalay
represents the largest repository of Myanmar arts and crafts. Skilled crafts
men make world famous genie tapestry called Shwe Chi Htoe (Golden Weaving)
tapestry, beautiful articles of ivory, wood, and stone, silver-ware and
bronze statues according to the time-honored traditions of their
fore-fathers.
The city and Mandalay Fort
King Mindon decided to fulfill the prophecy and during his reign in the
Kingdom of Amarapura he issued a royal order on 13 January, 1857 AD to
establish a new kingdom. The Ceremony of Ascending the Throne was celebrated
in July, 1858 and the former royal city of Amarapura was dismantled and
moved by elephant to the new location at Mandalay Hill. With the
Ground-breaking ceremony, King Mindon laid the foundation of Mandalay on the
6th waning day of Kason, (1857 AD). The King simultaneously laid the
foundations of seven edifices: the royal city with the battlemented walls,
the moat surrounding it, the Maha Lawka Marazein Stupa, the higher
ordination hall named the Pahtan-haw Shwe Thein, the Atumashi (the
Incomparable) monastery, the Thudhama Zayats or public houses for preaching
the Doctrine, and the library for the Buddhist scriptures.
The whole royal city was called Lay Kyun Aung Mye (Victorious Land over the
Four Islands) and the royal palace, the Mya Nan San Kyaw (The Royal Emerald
Palace). The new kingdom was called the Kingdom of Yadanabon, along with
other name Ratanapura, mean "The Bejeweled Site". It was finally renamed to
Mandalay which is a derivative of the Pali word "Mandala", which means "a
plains land" and also of the Pali word "Mandare", which means "an auspicious
land."
Mandalay would be captured just 29 years later and the palace would become
the British headquarters, known as Fort Dufferin, of Upper Myanmar.
During world war II, the Japanese, seeking to cut China's supply line,
occupied Indochina. However, a new supply line via Burma had already been
opened in January 1939. This Burma route went from Yangon to Chungking via
Mandalay, Lashio, Paoshan and Kungming. Tens of thousands of tons of war
materiel reached the Chinese nationalists by this route, creating
difficulties for the Japanese army, which became desperate to cut this
supply line. Thus, Japan with the support of local nationalist groups such
as the Burma Defense Army under their command invaded Myanmar and captured
Mandalay on May 2, 1942. The fort which contained the palace was turned into
a Japanese supply depot and was heavily bombed by the British prior to their
liberation of the city in March 1945 as part of an overland operation to
recapture the capital and port of Yangon.
In 1948, with the formation of the Union Of Myanmar, the city became the
capital of Mandalay Division.
