Shwenandaw Monastery, Mandalay

Shwenandaw Kyaung, also written Shwe Nandaw Kyaung or Shwenandaw Monastery, is an exquisite wooden monastery in Mandalay, Myanmar. It is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the city that was spared from damage during the Second World War. This monastery was also where King Mindon died. The Shwenandaw Kyaung was originally located within the grounds of Mandalay Palace but has since been relocated to its present site.

King Thibaw (who succeeded King Mindon, and whose tyrannic rule effectively brought his reign to an end) moved the Shwenandaw Kyaung its present location - just as well, because the Allied bombings of World War II destroyed all the buildings of the original Mandalay Palace except for this lovely monastery.

The intricately carved roof of Shwenandaw Kyaung, Mandalay, Myanmar.

The fame of Shwenandaw is in its intricate woodcarvings. Hardly a square inch of the monastery is not spared from ornamentation of figures and flowers. The walls of the Shwenandaw was once gold plated and adorned with glass mosaic, both inside and outside. All that is left today is the gold layered on the high ceiling. King Thibaw's couch and royal throne are still inside the monastery.

Although the Shwenandaw today is incredibly fragile, it lends an air of elegance to the 19th century workmanship and stands as a masterpiece of wood art.

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