Mon State

Mon State stands along the upper part of the Tanintharyi coastal strip. The total area is 4,747 square miles. There are islands, hills, equatorial forests, crop land and plantations. Mawlamyine, the third largest city in Myanmar, is the capital of Mon State. The famous Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda is located north of Kyaikhto. Thaton is the capital of ancient Mon Kingdom, much earlier than Bagan. There are many beautiful sea resorts such as Kyaikkami and Setse. There is a War Memorial in Thanbyuzayat, connected with the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Win Sein Tawya Monastery

The Win Sein Taw Ya reclining Buddha statue near Mawlamyine isn’t the most famous pagoda in Myanmar, but it does need to be seen to be believed. At 30 meters high and 180 meters in length, Win Sein Taw Ya is a grand and truly bizarre spectacle.

The largest reclining Buddha in the world is located at the Win Sein Taw Ya Buddhist Monastery. The statue measures 30m in height and 180m in length. You will spot this massive reclining Buddha from miles away even before you approach the area. It is situated right opposite the Buddhist shrine on Kyauktalon Mountain.

On the way to the entrance, there are 500 Buddha statues built along the road. You will also notice that a second reclining Buddha is being constructed opposite the current statue. The construction of the reclining Buddha took 15 years and the statue is still unfinished. The Buddha statue is large enough to have several chambers built in it. These chambers display dioramas of the Buddhist teachings. You have to remove your shoes while entering the interior of the statue as the structure is still a holy site and needs to be respected at all times.