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We then headed towards the Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery, which is said to have pertained to the Royal Palace at one time. If I had been impressed by some of the wood carving on the Palace I was definitely drawn by the fine intricate carving of some ornamental figures and flowers on the exterior decoration of this building, said to be the only of Mindon's Golden City buildings to have come through World War I intact.
It was entirely dismantled and moved piece by piece to the present site by Thibaw, after his father died inside it. Although it was initially used by him as a meditation site it would later be handed to the monks as a monastery.
The building is said to have been once gold-plated and adorned with glass mosaic both inside and out, though what is now left of the gold isn't but the layer on the rather imposing ceiling.
I felt photographing it was quite hard together with the fact that the sun inclination didn't help as well, which I found to be a pity as there were quite a few details I would like to have captured with my objective.
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