About 10kms along the Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay is the town of Mingun.  One of the first things you see upon approach from the river is the massive unfinished brick pagoda.  The Mingun Pagoda is also known as Mingun Pahtodawgyi.

It was started in 1790 and was never completed due to the prophecy that if it was, the king would die.   Guess they got that wrong, unless I am mistaken, the king died…  Anyhow, its made entirely of bricks and shows  immense cracks down it from the earthquake of 1839.

We didn’t go inside or up onto the Pagoda, signs say you can do so at your own risk, for an additional fee or at least that was our interpretation.  Coming from a city that was very recently destroyed by earthquakes, you couldn’t pay me enough to do so.

Nearby you can also see the Mingun Bell, commisioned by the same King and also Hsinbyume Pagoda or White Pagoda which was built by his grandson and successor.