Mogok: Hills, Pagodas and Viewpoints

Mogok combines a landscape shaped by hills with viewpoints and two annual pagoda festivals. If you are looking for a hotel in Mogok, these landscape and cultural themes provide a concrete framework for planning your trip. You can decide whether the directions and views or the festival dates are more important to your plans: both aspects are made tangible through named places and clear details.

Hills and Viewpoints

Mogok is surrounded by four hills: Kyayni Hill lies to the east and is 6,733 feet high, while Pintku Hill to the west is 5,345 feet high. To the north is Htinshu Hill, at 5,606 feet, and to the south is Taungme Hill, at 7,544 feet. This makes Taungme the highest of the four hills mentioned, and Pintku the lowest. The difference between their elevations is 2,199 feet. Daw Nang Kyi Hill is also west of Mogok and is 5,277 feet high, 68 feet lower than Pintku. This allows you to compare both the elevation differences within the group of four and the elevations of the two hills to the west.

The hill of Chan Thar Gyi Pagoda in the Shan Taw quarter is one of the viewpoints overlooking Mogok. From Shwezigon Pagoda, the panorama extends across the city and the mountains. The two views differ in their explicitly stated scope: Chan Thar Gyi looks out over Mogok, while Shwezigon also takes in the mountains.

Mogok Lake can also be seen up close and is considered a good place to watch the sunset. This offers a different viewpoint from the pagodas: at the lake, the sunset is the focus, while the pagoda views encompass the city, or the city and mountains. A city view, a panorama with mountains and an end-of-day view are thus presented as distinct options.

Pagodas and Festival Calendar

Chan Thar Gyi Pagoda is in the city center and was built by King Min Khaung in 1538. It holds a pagoda festival every February. The construction year and the recurring festival month provide different points of reference in time: the year places the construction in its historical context, while the festival takes place in February each year.

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda holds an annual five-day festival from the 11th to the 15th day of the Burmese calendar month of Thabaung, which corresponds to March.

The years serve different purposes: 1538 is the year Chan Thar Gyi Pagoda was built; 1946 marks when Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda was located in the Htin Shu Chan quarter. The festival details also differ: a month is specified for Chan Thar Gyi, while Phaung Daw Oo has a five-day period according to the Burmese calendar. If you want to plan your trip around a festival, check the specific dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Mandalay, Popaywa, Kyaukse, Nyaung U, Yandabo, Pyin Oo Lwin

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