Construction of Mrauk-U replica in Thandwe Twsp over 50% complete

By DMG 08 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
8 May 2021, Thandwe 

Construction of numerous replicas of ancient Mrauk-U structures on Mya Yadanar Hill in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, is more than 50% complete, according to a local pagoda board of trustees. 

Construction of the pagodas began in December 2017, and 117 replicas have been completed to date. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability, construction of Mrauk-U’s Lay Myethna Pagoda replica was delayed, said U Nyi Phru, a member of the pagoda construction committee. 

He added that construction of the Mrauk-U replicas in Thandwe Township was aimed at ensuring that ethnic Burmese, including tourists visiting Ngapali Beach, could see and experience an approximation of the ancient Mrauk-U cultural relics. 

“Our main purpose is to promote the tourism industry in Thandwe Township,” said Ko Zeyar Lin, a local resident. “Many local and foreign visitors to Ngapali Beach may have never been to Mrauk-U. Looking at the pagodas here, they may wonder if there are such pagodas in Mrauk-U. They will want to go to Mrauk-U to pay homage to the ancient pagodas.” 

The replica of Mrauk-U’s Lay Myethna Pagoda, also known as the four-faced pagoda, is 60 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter, and is estimated to cost more than K200 million. U Nyi Phru urged people to make charitable donations for the pagoda’s ongoing construction. 

Construction of the Mrauk-U replica was led by the late Mya Pyin Sayadaw, a Buddhist monk.