Eindawya Paya

Mandalay


Ranged around a sizeable stupa glowing with gold leaf, Eindawa was founded in 1847 by King Pagan Min, whose princely palace once stood here. The complex offers a refreshing dose of relative quiet and serenity, given the bustle of nearby markets.

In 1919, Eindawa was the site of a notable cultural battle when a group of Europeans defied the Buddhist ban on the wearing of shoes and were forcibly evicted. For their pains, four of the monks who ejected the insensitive foreigners were convicted by a colonial court, with one receiving a life sentence. So please take off your shoes!