Thousands of temples across an ancient plain
Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the kings of Bagan built thousands of temples, stupas and monasteries on a plain beside the Irrawaddy River. More than two thousand survive, making Bagan one of the densest collections of Buddhist monuments in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ananda Temple, with its gilded spire and standing Buddhas, and the massive Dhammayangyi are among the greatest. The classic image is of hot-air balloons drifting over red-brick pagodas at sunrise.