Shwenandaw Monastery

The Shwenandaw Monastery is the finest example of 19th-century Burmese teak architecture surviving in Mandalay, and arguably in the country. Originally a chamber within the royal palace, it was moved outside the palace compound after the death of King Mindon and converted into a monastery. All the rest of the teak palace was destroyed in 1945 — making Shwenandaw uniquely precious.

The exterior is covered in elaborate carved teak: figures from Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's previous lives), mythological creatures, and intricate geometric patterns. The interior is equally ornate. The building has suffered from decades of deferred maintenance, and some areas are fragile, but restoration work is ongoing. It stands just south of Kuthodaw Pagoda.

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A story
This is the last surviving building from King Mindon's original 19th-century palace complex. All the other palace buildings were destroyed in the fires of 1945; Shwenandaw survived only because King Thibaw had moved it outside the palace walls in 1880, after his father died there and the building became associated with bad luck.