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Perhaps the real interest in Mandalay lies not in the modern city center but in the surrounding areas.  Ava and Amarapura are former capitals situated only 30 minutes drive south.  In these tranquil settings the magic of rural Myanmar may be felt.   Though the royal palaces have gone, the pagodas, temples and monasteries remain.   Mandalay is home to many famous places of interest: the Maha Muni Pagoda, the Atuma-shi Kyaung, the Mandalay Hill, U Bein Bridge, the Kutho-daw Pagoda, the Royal Palace, the Yankin Hill, the Zegyo Market, Amarapura, Saiging to name but a few.  The Amarapura or “the City of Immortality” was the ancient capital of the Myanmar Monarchy, 7 miles south of Mandalay, Amarapura’s attractions include the Pa-hto-daw-gyi Pagoda, U Bein Bridge, Stone carving and silk weaving industry.  A river trip is necessary to visit.  The U Bein Bridge, south of Mandalay was constructed totally from teak wood.  During the dry season the bridge crosses dry land.  U Bein was the mayor at the time of moving the city from Innwa to Amarapura and he wisely salvaged materials from the deserted Innwa Palace to build this long footbridge.  It has stood the test of time for two centuries.  The bridge is 1.2km.  Boat trips around the lake are a popular pastime with visitors.  The Mandalay Royal Palace: King Mindon Min ordered the construction of this imposing walled palace come fortress in 1857.  The fortified city is in the form of a square, each side of which is ten furlongs in length, a battlemented wall of brick and mud mortar has a total height of 25 ft and is backed by an earthen rampart with a flowing moat.  There are 12 gates, three on each side, at equal distances from each other and are named after the signs of the Zodiac.  They are surmounted by pyatthats or pavilions of wood.  These total 48 in number.  The moat surrounding the city is approximately 225 ft wide and 11 ft bridges spanning the moat lead to the main gates.  The palace thus occupied the central spot in the city.  The palace, with magnificent woodcarving embellishing it, was destroyed by fire during World War II.  However, the Lion Throne survived the war and is now exhibited at the national museum in Yangon.  Today, Myat-Nan-San-Kyaw Golden Palace in Mandalay has been reconstructed, a monument of historical value, the glory of the Myanmar people - embellished and renovated -- is a testimony to the ancient culture.  Sadly it was severely damaged in 1945 during fierce fighting between the British, Indian and Japanese forces.  Formerly made in teak it has been reconstructed using concrete.  Immediately behind the old palace is Mandalay Hill, once visited by Gautama Buddha, and indirectly solely responsible for the construction of Mandalay, the hill provides an unparalleled view of the entire pagoda studded Mandalay region with the mighty Ayawadee in the background.  Tradition has it that when Gautama Buddha visited the sacred Mandalay Hill site, he proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded there.  Shwesandaw Kyaung, once part of King Mindon’s palace, this wooden building was moved shortly after his death and converted into a monastery.  It remains an impressive example of teak crafting, and architecture.  Today it is one of few such buildings surviving, as extensive bombing during WW II, destroyed most of Mandalay’s wooden buildings.  The Great Maha Muni Pagoda lies to the south of Mandalay.  This pagoda was so named after the holy image, "Maha Muni" housed therein.  Originally, this holy image belonged to Myohaung (a town in Rakhine State, the western coastal region of Myanmar).  In 1784, King Bodawpaya (a son of King Alaungpaya who founded the Kon-Baung dynasty) got the image brought by his son to the then royal capital at Amarapura.  It has been 210 years, therefore, since the holy image first arrived at the central Myanmar.  To the Buddhists in Myanmar, this richly gilded Maha Muni image is not a mere representation of the Lord Buddha but is an icon which is regarded as sacred itself.  And the image is also considered to be the greatest in Myanmar next to the Shwe Dagon.  Another celebrated pagoda is the Kyauk Tawgyi situated near the southern approach to the Mandalay Hill.  It was built in the reign of King Mindon.  Also at this pagoda, there is a huge marble image of Buddha which was carved out of a single block of marble.  Situated to the east is the Kuthodaw Pagoda modeled on the Shwe Zigon at Nyaung Oo.  In the precincts of this pagoda, there are 729 monoliths on which the entire teachings of Buddha can be seen as edited and approved by the fifth Buddhist Synod. The Kuthodaw is rightly said to be the world's largest book as here the king had the Buddhist scriptures inscribed on 1,774 marble slabs, each housed in its own private pavilion.  These many dedications may be visited today and truly conjure an image of the strange mix between opulence and obeisance that existed in royal Myanmar.  The Atumashi Kyaung (which literally means the inimitable monastery) also is worth seeing.  Actually, it is just the ruins partly survived the fire in 1890.  However, the remains seen nowadays obviously show that the Atumashi Kyaung must have been indeed an inimitable one in former times.  The Eindawya Pagoda, the Set Kya Thiha Pagoda, the Shwe Nandaw Monastery, the old Watch Tower and King Mindon's tomb should also be visited in Mandalay.  Market Town: In the centre of the city is Zegyo (Zei gyo) Market where you can find anything here available in Yangon as well as local handicrafts.  A brief Trishaw ride across town to 66th street, will take you to the Mandalay Marionettes.  A theatre with nightly shows at 8.30 pm.  The puppet controllers, part of a dying breed are amongst the world’s best marionette masters.  A show is much more than child’s entertainment and a must see in Burma.  Across the river from Ava is another former capital, Sagaing.  In the rolling hills beyond the modern town are situated countless hermitages for both monks and nuns.  Most date from the turn of the century and are built in a delightful mix of colonial and old Myanmar styles.  A traditional place of pilgrimage for the people of Mandalay, it is to Sagaing that people come to seek peace away from the fast pace of city life.  There can be nothing more sublime than to wander in these hills, beneath a canopy of flowering trees surrounded by the gentle murmur of chanting monks and nuns.  A morning trip upriver from Mandalay is the great unfinished pagoda of Mingun, with the largest working bell in the world.  From Mandalay there are many day and overnight excursions to other parts of this breathtaking region including Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymo), the former British Hill Station, previously named Maymyo, is a timeless colonial serenity.  Pyin Oo Lwin, is a scenic and cool highland 1,100 m above sea level and only 2¼ hours by jeep.  42 miles east of Mandalay, the Shan Plateau foothills, offers an inspirational views of the Mandalay Plains once influenced Rudyard Kipling’s the road to Mandalay.  Little seems to have changed since Kipling's travels over 100 years ago.  This resort of beautiful colonial architecture, stage coaches, bustling market places, and the fresh and lush bloom of colorful flowers, is worth a visit.  Visit the spacious and verdant hectares Botanical Garden with its cherry blossom in December and January, and do not miss the nearby Pwekauk Waterfalls, the recently opened limestone grotto and the underground stream known as Peik-Chin Myaung.