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Bagan Golden Palace. Photo by mohigan.

Top 10 Facts about Bagan Golden Palace

Bagan Golden Palace is located at the main entrance of the Bagan old city near the Tharabar gate in Myanmar. Reconstruction of the Bagan Golden Palace begun in August 2003 and was completed in November 2007.

The reconstruction which was informed by excavation findings and evidences was supervised and guided by the Ministry of Culture of Myanmar.

The Bagan Golden Palace was inaugurated on 2^nd January, 2008 after reconstruction was completed with much pomp and fanfare.

The top 10 facts about Bagan Golden Palace Include the following.

1. The Bagan Golden Palace Consists of Eight Buildings

Bagan Golden Palace Buildings. Photo by mohigan.

The Bagan Golden Palace consists of eight buildings. The eight buildings include the Beiktheik Hall, Eastern Entrance Hall, Thihathana Hall and Pyinsapathada Hall also known as the Great Audience Hall.

Other buildings within the Bagan Golden Palace include the Southern Entrance Hall, Zaytawun Hall, Zaytawun Connection Passage and lastly the Northern Entrance Hall.

2. The Bagan Golden Palace Was Built Opposite the  Site of The Original Palace

The government of Myanmar has overtime commissioned palace reconstruction jobs in Bago Mandalay and Shwebo which are supervised and guided by the Ministry of Culture.

The Bagan Golden Palace which is essentially a towering concrete-and -steel reinforced edifice was opened in 2008 with much fanfare.

The palace which is unlikely to bear much resemblance to the original one was built opposite the excavated site of the original palace near the Tharabar Gate in the heart of Old Bagan city.

3. The Bagan Palace Is A Sign of Ongoing Disneyfication of Bagan

Old Bagan. Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg.

Bagan has been given the title of 鈥淪ea of Temples鈥� due to the abundance of architecture of ancient temples and historical structures in Bagan. 

Bagan Golden Palace is a reminder of the stature and influence of the Pagan Kingdom that once prospered as from 9^th to 13^th century in the city situated along the Ayeyarwady River.

Over 2,200 temples out of an estimated 10,000 temples that were constructed in those early days still stand today.

Many of these temples have undergone reconstruction in what many have called the ongoing Disneyfication of Bagan which has become major tourists鈥� attractions as a consequence.

4. Bagan Golden Palace Is in a UNESCO Heritage Site

Bagan Golden Palace. Photo by Christophe95.

Bagan was awarded Word Heritage Status on 6^th July 2019 due to its Sea of Temples and pagodas one of which is the Bagan Golden Palace.

Even though the nomination of the city was done nearly a quarter of a century ago, the city was eventually awarded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2019.

The award was largely due to the many reconstructed temples and pagodas such as the Bagan Golden Palace.

5. The Bagan Golden Palace Is Grand and Extravagant

Just like all other landmark temples in Bagan and indeed the entire Myanmar, the Bagan Golden Palace is grand and extravagant. The temple is of great historical significance to the region.

The temple preserves the ancient culture of worship with the Buddha being the central figure.  The domes are full of sparkling gold and calmness which is ideal for meditation.

6. The Bagan Golden Palace Gives A Feeling of Being Small Place

Apart from the main architecture the palace gives a feeling of being small in size. Tourists who visit the palace feel like there is not much to see.

Tourists walk around within a relatively short time, take a few photographs and end their tour as soon as it starts.

Even though the palace is not as old as other historical sites in Bagan, it is a good place to visit.  The palace which is a replica of the original palace is peaceful, well decorated and lovely to walk around.

7. The Palace Is Visitor Friendly

Visitors to the palace are welcomed by the local people who cherish the building and love showing visitors around. 

The building has some very informative writings about the past history which tourists can read to get an in depth understanding of the palace鈥檚 history.

All different sections within the palace can be viewed and explanations are given in English which enables visitors to understand. 

There are performances at night which are very colorful and interesting for tourists performed by a dance troupe in the palace.

The dance troupe which consists of around thirty performers give brief performances of a wide range of traditional Burmese dances such as Mustached comedian and panto elephant among others.

8. The Palace Is Located in The Heart of The Historically Important Old Bagan City

Old Bagan City. Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg.

The palace is located in the heart of the Old Bagan city which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Bagan city is an enchanting ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar.

Bagan is recognized as the capital city of Pagan Kingdom which ruled the region during the 9^th and 13^th centuries.

The Pagan Kingdom is credited as having unified all the regions which constitute what today is called Myanmar. 

Old Bagan boasts of marvelous landscapes, fascinating history and magnificent architecture.

9. The Bagan Golden Palace Is A Starting Point in Learning the Culture of Myanmar

The palace is an ideal starting point in learning the interesting culture of Myanmar.  Myanmar citizens are known to adhere to Buddhism and Nat worship which are marked by worship of nature spirits otherwise known as 鈥淣ats鈥�.

The spirits represent human flaws or vices and there are thirty-six nature spirits in the officially sanctioned pantheon. 

Shrines exist in temples and Buddhist palaces for worship of these 鈥淣ats鈥� and Bagan Golden Palace is no exception. 

10. The Palace Can Enable One Understand How the Initial Palace Looked Like

The palace is quite impressive even though it is basically a reconstruction of the original palace.  Visiting the palace can assist one to understand the political structure that existed during 9^th and 13^th century.

The palace can also assist in understating what the initial palace looked like and how it functioned.

The different areas are explained by continuous commentaries sometimes in English which enables visitors to appreciate the significance of each section of the palace.

A guide book is also available to help visitors understand and get a full history of the palace before they venture in.