Landmarks
Pathein has a scenic waterfront, many Buddhist temples. The main sight of Pathein is Shwemokhtaw Paya, a Buddhist temple originally founded (according to local legend) by King Asoka of India in 305 BC. Bagan's King Alaungsithu raised the height of the stupa to 11 meters in 1115 AD, and the Mon King Samodogossa raised it to 131 feet (40 m) in 1263 AD. The stupa is now 153 feet (47 m) tall, with the topmost layer made of 13.9 pounds (6.3 kg) of solid gold, the middle tier of pure silver, and the third tier of bronze, with some 829 diamonds, 843 rubies, and 1588 semi-precious stones.
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