While the kingdoms of Bagan date back to the early 2nd century A.D., Bagan only entered its golden age with the conquest of Thaton by King Anawrahta in 1057 A.D. From this time, until Bagan was overrun by Kublai Khan's forces in 1287 A.D., more than 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures were built. Today, seven centuries later, approximately 2,200 temples remain standing. The Ayeyarwady River has washed away nearly one-third of the original city area, thieves have torn apart many temples in search of treasures, while earthquakes and the ravages of time have reduced hundreds of others to great piles of crumbled stones.

Here's a view from the top of the 13th century Tayok Pyi Paya. Notice the cattle being herded home.

Sounds a lot like La Canada Pagoda. This beautiful stupa is located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River.

In addition to temples, Bagan is also noted for lacquerware. At the finer shops, it takes close to 6 months to make even the simplest piece (lots of drying time).

These guys are etching patterns into lacquered bowls.

Here you can see a bowl in various stages of production. The process starts with the naked bamboo bowl at about 2 o'clock and proceeds counterclockwise to the finished product.

Dhamma Ya Zi Ka Pagoda was built in 1196 by Narapatisithu, on a pentagon terrace with five temples, each containing a Buddha image. Nice view over Bagan Plain can be had from the roof. Highlight include a pagoda and temple style with stucco, stone sculptures and carvings, and at the time that this picture was taken, Janet sitting in a window.

Youq-the pwe, or Burmese Marionette Theatre, has long been a respected art form in Myanmar. We caught this show over dinner with fellow travellers from France/USA and Germany.

This was our second last sunset in Bagan. We caught our last one from a 737 en route to Yangon.