Kandawgyi Lake of Mandalay & Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge

It was formerly known as the Tet Thay In. It is situated in west Than Lyet Maw, Chan Mya Thazi Township. It covers 322.43 hectares. It is 3657.6m long from north to south and 975.36m from east to west.

In the olden times, the Tet Thay In was a natural pond of used water and sewage of the native people, where the Shwe Ta Chaung and the Thingaza Chaung merged.

The Tet Thay In, which has been cleared up, was named Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi Lake on 9 July 1997.

The modern housing project was implemented. Starting from 29. 2. 2000, the Mye Padetha Kyun Project has been systematically carried out.

There floats the Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge in Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi. It was first situated above the moat waters to the south east of the Mandalay Royal Battlemented wall in 1990_a royal barge built out of the blending of the former Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge and the modern Myanmar handicrafts. Today the royal barge has been moved to a more proper site, i.e., the Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi Lake. It was renovated on 25. 2. 99, and it was completed on 11. 2. 2001.

Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge

The Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge is 37.18m long and 14.93m wide. Its deck is .91m high above water. The height of the royal barge up to the diamond finial of the tiered roof building is 18.28m above water; its height up to the head of the Dragon is 3.65m above water; and its height up to the tip of the Tail, 8.83m above water. It rests on 215 pillars riveted deep into the water. The garden covers 0.607hectares.

The Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge was the type of water vessel taken by the kings of the olden days while touring the country and in celebrating the Annual waterway Parade. Remarkably, it was on this royal barge that the Maha Muni Buddha Image, carried reverently by King Bodawpaya, the founder of the Royal Kingdom of Amarapura, was carried reverently from Amarapura to the present site in Mandalay along the Nadi Chaung.

The scenic beauty of Mandalay is added to by the pleasant panoramic view of the Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi where the Mye Padetha Island and the Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge are located. The Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi Circular Road, 7.14km long, adorning the beauty of the lake, is connected with the Mandalay-Sagaing road to the east and with the eitht lane motorway to the west. Mandalay City Development Committee has been taking measures to make a clean pleasant lake, like the moat and to green the surrounding of the lake. There is the city boundary Strand Road close to the west of the Mandalay Kan Taw Gyi Lake.

Kandawgyi Lake of Mandalay

The sunset beauty and the scenic view seen from the Mandalay boundary Stand Road with the red sun setting behind the Minwun-Sagaing ranges dotted with whitewashed and gold shrines along the Ayeyawaddy, this is the panoramic impressionistic painting, unsatiable and unforgettable.

(Source: myanmars.net)