The over 200-year-old Hsinbyume Pagoda, one of the famous attractions located near the epicenter of the earthquake in Mandalay City, was heavily destroyed.
Images posted on the BBC Burmese fan page and shared by many international news agencies on March 29 show that the main tower of the pagoda has almost completely collapsed. The surrounding stairs were damaged.
The Hsinbyume Pagoda, or Myatheindan Pagoda, is located in the northern part of Mingun in the Sagaing region of Myanmar, about 10 km northwest of Mandalay. The pagoda is painted white and modeled after the sacred mountain of Buddhism. It is one of the most famous pagodas in Myanmar and a symbolic structure of Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar, alongside the Ubein Bridge. It’s a common sight on local tourist brochures and is considered ‘one of the most beautiful pagodas for photography.
The pagoda consists of 7 concentric terraces, representing the 7 mountains surrounding the sacred Mount Meru – a legend considered the center of the universe according to Buddhism.
The pagoda stands as a testament to the love story of Prince Bagyidaw and his wife Hsinbyume. Tragically, Hsinbyume passed away during childbirth. Prince Bagyidaw was deeply saddened and, in 1816, he commissioned the construction of the Hsinbyume Pagoda in her memory. An earthquake in 1836 caused severe damage to the pagoda.. It was not until 1874 that King Mindon ordered its restoration.
On social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok, numerous international news outlets and communities have shared images with headlines such as “The iconic white pagoda of Myanmar has been damaged” and “The magnificent Hsinbyume in Myanmar, a symbol of cultural heritage, has been destroyed in the earthquake.
Le Thi Huong Giang, a photographer living in Hanoi, visited Myanmar in 2014 and stopped by the pagoda. She was introduced and guided to this place by a local tourism and photography professional. Giang shared that the pagoda is a destination frequented by many tourists and locals.
“The pagoda boasts a unique and beautiful architecture, setting it apart from the statue-filled pagodas of Bagan. I was very impressed and took many photos there. Seeing the photos of the pagoda collapsing is truly heartbreaking,” Giang said.
Giang further stated that she was only able to contact one friend in Myanmar after the earthquake on March 28th; the other friends have not yet responded. The friend reported that hospitals are currently overloaded, and there are power outages, water shortages, and no internet. “The situation is very bad,” a friend in Myanmar shared with the Vietnamese tourist.
Source: Vnexpress