Pyay Myanmar – An Ideal Stopover for Myanmar River Cruises

Pyay at a Glance

Pyay Township (also known as Prome) is once capital of Myanmar. It is an important trading center of the Irrawaddy Delta. This riverside town is around 290 km north of Yangon. It is a great stopover for visitors travelling between Yangon and Bagan with Irrawaddy Explorer.

In the ancient time, Sri Ksetra is the capital of Pyay – an interesting place to visit because of its historical and architectural values.

» Interesting Places to Visit in Pyay

Sri Ksetra (Thayakhittaya)

This ancient capital of Pyay lies 8 km to the southeast of the town. Coming to this area, you will feel like being lost in the prosperity of the city during the 5th and 9th centuries. As the UNESCO World Heritage, this site is worth visiting because of numerous ancient relics including tombs, temples, pagodas, palaces and other religious sites.

You can take a bike, motorcycle or taxi from the center of Pyay to get to this historical site. Along the way, there is a turnoff heading 8 kilometers to the east of Pyay. Riding around 1.5 kilometers from the turnoff, you will reach a small museum where features a collection of well – preserved artifacts. The site is not very large so you can take a walk, ride a bike or motorbike to explore it by yourself or enjoy an ox cart ride around the monuments.

Akauk Taung (Customs Hill)

Akauk Taung Mountain is a scenic site located on the shore of the Irrawaddy river in the north of Pyay. The special thing about this mountain is that there are dozens of Buddha images with different styles and sizes carved into the wall overlooking the mighty river.

To reach Akauk Taung, you could hire a motorcycle or take a taxi from the town Pyay to reach Tonbo village which takes you around 2 hours. From the village, continue with a boat trip for about 30 minutes to Akauk Taung.

You can follow the path and climb up the cliff to a hilltop where you can visit Akauk Taung Pagoda and enjoy breathtaking view of the river and the mountain itself.

Shwesandaw Pagoda

The Shwesandaw Pagoda Pyay is one of the famous sites in the town. It is situated on the eastern bank of Irrawaddy River with the height of 127 feet. The pagoda contains a series of five terraces, topped with a cylindrical stupa. There are 64 surrounding smaller pagodas around the main one. What makes the pagodas unique is the existence of two umbrellas at the top of the pagoda.

Baw Baw Gyi Pagoda and Bebe Paya

Located outside the city wall, on the south of the Museum are Bebe and Baw Baw Gyi Pagoda. Baw Baw Gyi Paya (paya means pagoda in Burmese) is said to be the oldest stupa in the area while Bebe Paya is impressive with its unique shape and structure.

Sehtatgyi Paya

Located high over Pyay is Saehtatgyi Pagoda with a giant seated Buddha. It is near to Shwesandaw Pagoda. This huge sitting Buddha statue can be easily seen from famous Shwesandaw Pagoda'splatform.This spot is perfect for tourists to walk around and see the painting which tell 10 old stories of Buddha.

Shwe Bon Thar Muni

Shwe Bon Thar Muni is situated at the Pyay's other bank acrossing Nawaday Bridge. Sourrounding area of this pagoda is truly peaceful and quite so it is the ideal spot for ones who want to feel serene beauty of nature.

Payagyi Pagoda

This pagoda which is probably built from the 5th or 6th century AD has cup-like shape with three terraces at its base. The modern hti (pinnacle of the stupa) is lit up at night and lies a half-mile east of the bus station.

Shwe Myatman Paya

Shwe Myethman Paya which means 'Paya with the Golden Spectacles' refers to a huge white face sitting Buddha statue with the golden spectacles placed inside the main shrine. Spectacles were added during the period of Konbaung. It is believed that this Buddha statue can cure diseases or illnesses especially for eyes.

Shwe Nat Taung Paya

Shwe Nat Taung Pagoda which was built in the Sri Ksetra era means 'Golden Spirit Mountain'.The local legend has it that this pagoda was built by Burmese King with the support of Nats (spirits). It is believed to preserve hair relics of the Buddha.

Besides, a pagoda festival is organized every year on the full moon of Tabaung in February or March.

Hope the information above will help you to plan your trip to Pyay. For more useful travel tips & guides, check out Myanmar travel guide