Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Myanmar (Burma) Bago Shwethalyaung Buddha of Bago

Shwethalyaung Buddha of Bago

The second largest reclining Buddha in the world got "lost" for over 120 years.

Bago, Myanmar (Burma)

Added By
ser flac
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Christopher Voitus
  Nkenji
The newer Naung Daw Gyi Mya Tha Lyaung Buddha   Chenevier
The gilded soles of the Naung Daw Gyi Mya Tha Lyaung reclining Buddha   Mangostani
Face of the Naung Daw Gyi Mya Tha Lyaung reclining Buddha   Tanenhaus
A nearby sitting Buddha   Tanenhaus
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

One thinks it would be hard to lose the second largest reclining Buddha in the world. Apparently that would be wrong. 

Believed to have been built in 994, the Shwethalyaung Buddha is huge, at 180 feet long and 52 feet high. However after a 1757 pillaging of the area, the world lost track fo the Buddha, only to have a British railway engineer accidentally rediscover it, completely overgrown with jungle, in 1880.

The Buddha was given a giant mosiac pillow in 1930, and is currently kept under a rather unattractive enormous shed. 

A number of other giant Buddhas can be found throughout Bago, however the Shwethalyaung Buddha is the oldest and most revered. 

Related Tags

Statues Giant Buddhas

Community Contributors

Added By

serflac

Published

August 15, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Shwethalyaung Buddha of Bago
Shwethalyaung Buddha
Bago
Myanmar (Burma)
17.32774, 96.498451
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Taukkyan War Cemetery

Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

Thaton District, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Nagar Glass Factory

Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar (Burma)

Asia

Places 33
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Taukkyan War Cemetery

Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

Thaton District, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Nagar Glass Factory

Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar (Burma)

Asia

Places 33
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Phra Achana.

    Tambon Mueang Kao, Thailand

    Phra Achana

    An enormous Buddha peers through a gap in its ruined chamber.

  • Lady Buddha.

    Da Nang, Vietnam

    Lady Buddha

    Vietnam's largest Buddha statue depicts a female sage.

  • A pagoda at Mogao Caves.

    Jiuquan, China

    Mogao Caves

    Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

  • The giant Buddha looms over the pathway.

    Beruwala, Sri Lanka

    Kande Vihara

    This amazing mountain temple is topped by one of the tallest sitting Buddha statues in the world.

  • Guarded by snakes

    Tambon Phai Cham Sin, Thailand

    Thailand's Biggest Buddha

    The golden Buddha statue at the Wat Muang Monastery is the tallest in Thailand, and the ninth-tallest in the world.

  • Dikwella, Sri Lanka

    Wewurukannala Vihara

    To gaze upon the visage of Sri Lanka's biggest Buddha, one must first pass through the Tunnel of Hell.

  • Mawlamyine, Myanmar (Burma)

    Win Sein Taw Ya

    The world's largest reclining Buddha, the Giant Buddha of Mudon.

  • (Design Boom)

    Macau

    Ash Jesus and Ash Buddha

    Sculptures of religious figures made from the ashes of pilgrims' incense.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.