Wildlife during the Pagoda Festival
An unusual way to experience the nature of Magway Region is linked to a religious festival: during the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Festival, visitors can observe and learn about star tortoises and Eld’s deer at Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary. This brings together two interests over a clearly defined period: pagoda worship and the sanctuary’s wildlife. The Mann Shwe Settaw Pagoda Festival lasts eleven days and begins on the fifth waxing day of Tabodwe. This traditional lunar calendar does not correspond to a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar. So if you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for your chosen year.
A sanctuary with a long history
Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary covers 213.4 square miles in Minbu (Sagu) Township, Magway Region. It was established in 1940 to protect the watersheds of the Mone and Mann streams, as well as tropical forests. The visitor experience brings together two aspects: the sanctuary’s conservation mission and the opportunity to observe wildlife during the festival season. The Eld’s deer is considered rare and endemic, giving the sanctuary’s wildlife a specific point of interest. For nature lovers, this connection between conservation and a seasonal wildlife encounter is what clearly distinguishes a visit from one focused solely on pagodas.
Pagodas, hills and a riverside setting
Minbu in Magway Region lies on the banks of the Ayeyawady River. In Minbu Township, Setkeinte Pagoda and Nagabwat Hill are designated tourist destinations; in Magway city, Myathalun Pagoda is a tourist destination. This selection includes two pagoda-related destinations and one hill. You can therefore choose places according to your interest in religious structures or a scenic viewpoint, rather than treating all the sights as the same kind of outing. Minbu’s riverside setting adds a geographical connection to the region to these points of interest.
Museum and festivals as a way to experience the culture
In Natmauk Township, the Bogyoke Museum is a designated tourist destination. It offers a distinct museum focus alongside pagodas and nature, so if you want to combine several interests, you can also include a museum when choosing places to visit. Magway Region is also shaped by several festivals held in honor of pagodas. At the Pakokku Thiho Shin Pagoda Festival, traditional music, dance and worship rituals are part of the experience. Unlike the Mann Shwesettaw Festival, whose timing is linked to wildlife viewing in the sanctuary, Pakokku focuses on music, dance and religious practice. For planning, it is useful to distinguish between the duration of a festival and how often it takes place: Mann Shwesettaw lasts eleven days and begins on the fifth waxing day of Tabodwe, while the Pakokku festival takes place annually. Check the specific festival dates for your chosen year if you want to plan your trip around a celebration.
In the wider context of Myanmar
At the religious monuments of the Pyu Ancient Cities, within the broader destination of Myanmar, worship also continues: Buddhist pilgrims from across the region continue to venerate the shrines there.
Discover more destinations: Pakokku, Payagon, Magway, Yenangyaung. Chin State, Ayeyarwady, Shan State, Naypyitaw Union Territory.
View the main travel overview: Myanmar.
