Rakhine

Sittway

It is located on the confluence of Kissapanadi or Kalardan River and Bay of Bengal. As it is the gate-way to Ngapali
(Sandaway) and Mrauk U, it is a major stop-over. The city itself shows the marine-life, and cultural Museum, Buddhist Museum and Sakyamuni Buddhaimage should be studied.

Cultural Museum

It is a modern four-storey building, lies at the corner of Yaydwin Street and Main Road near Myoma market in Sittway. The ground-plans of ancient cities, the evolution of Rakhine literature, Ananda candra inscription, religious buildings, Buddha images, scenes of traditional festivals, musical instruments, arts and handicrafts and so on are enjoyable.

Buddhist Museum
It is, in fact, a modern building of Mahakusala monastery on Strand Road just before the jetty. Because of the untiring effort of Venerable Baddhanta Wunnita Sayadaw, thousands of Buddha images, arahat figures, relics are well kept, including over 7,000 Buddha images of Laymro period and Mrauk U period. Bronze inscriptions, palm leaf inscriptions, coins and notes, lacquerwares and other antiquities are also exhibited.
Byala, the symbol of Rakhine State is graciously standing in front of mythical creature, composed by nine different animals.

Sakkyamuni

It is the only image of its kind in Myanmar since it is curiously adorned with over a thousand of small Buddha images.
Regarding to the inscriptions and archaeological finds, Rakhine kings had successfully founded their respective palace-cities and kingdoms at Dhanyawaddy, Vesali, Mrauk Uand so on. No Shiva-figures and relevant figures have ever found in Rakhine region. Buddha footprint on cast-bronze is uniquely found in Vesali, measuring 7.5cm length and 3 cm width with 22 symbols on left footprint and 18 symbols on right one. Dhanyawaddy, Vesali and Mrauk U can be accessed by about 3-hour drive of speed boat from Sittway.

Mrauk U

It is located some 46 miles to the north of Sittway, setting just the bend of Shwenatpyin, a major tributary of the Kalardan River. It was so intentionally built in 1430 A.D by King Minsawmon, and ruled by 48 successive kings. Taking the advantages of the ridges (mountain slopes) around the city, the walls were built with sand-stone and natural earth adjoining the higher points of the ridges.
The optimum usage of natural environs, the multiple enclosure walls well-adorned with bulwarks, ramparts, watch-towers, front and so on, evidently show the masterful architecture of ancient Rakhine people and is assuming the city as the defensive castle.About a total of 60 monuments, especially stone-buildings are scattered in the circle lying close to one another. Leisure walk is the best mean to enjoy them.

Shitthaung Temple

It is a two-storey building, a major monument and was built in 535 A.D by King Minbargyi. It is architecturally an impressive one and rather like an effective fort than a formal temple. A great variety of figures (over 80,000); such as; Buddha's life stories, 550 Jataka stories, Vathundare and Vathundari, Keinnayi and Keinnaya of mythical birds, lmira and his consorts, Jain figures and Hindu deities, the donor King Minbargyi, ogres, dragons and so on, are very finely executed on the enclosure walls and interior walls of the temple together with Sinhalese type stupas on the platform.

Htokkan Thein

It lies some 100 meters to the west of Shitthaung Temple, and of another fortress-like structure. It was erected in 1571 AD by King Mimphalaung. The walls of the temple and chapel projecting eastward are built of stones. Through the east entrance, the interior-walls of the temple are completely adorned with various figures of demon ogres, dvarapala and seated ladies together with yellow glazed statuettes. The seated ladies are decked with richly ornaments of crown, coronet, pendant, necklace, rosary, sash, chest-band, bracelet, arm let and so on with various styles of coiffure, in lotus offering.

Andaw Thein

It is, just to the west of Shitthaung Temple, a small stone building. It is in rectangle ground-plan having double corridors around the central cube, in about 30 feet high. The interior walls are embellished with Buddha images in niches set of low arch-pediments.
The solid stupas can be also seen in Ratanabon, Sakyamanaung, Ratanamanaung, Zinamanaung and so on. Most of them were built in the 15th and 16th century A.D.

Vesali

It is one of the ancient cities of Rakhine and said that it was lasted from 327 to 776 A.D. Today it has become a small village inhabited by a bout 100 households.
It is known as Kyaukhlaykhar, meaning flights of stone-steps since there is a one mile long stone-step from the river to the city gate of the western city wall. Very recently, the city walls, palace sites and others have been excavated. The ground plan of the city is similar to Sriksetra, in oval-like rectangle measuring about 5 miles for each side and encircled by a moat of 200 feet width.

Vesali Payagyi

The founder of Vesali city, King Mahataing Chandra carved this Buddha Image in 327 A.D and set a dedicatory inscription in Pali verse. That Buddha Image is carved out by a single block and the earliest image of Vesali.