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Old Baganpug®Dmúui¾eh;='"%061The core of the Bagan Archaeological Zonecontains several of the main temple sites,city walls, a museum, a reconstructed palace,restaurants, a few shops and a cluster of midrangeto top-end hotels. It’s right on a bendof the Ayeyarwady River – sometime duringyour stay, wander down to the waterfront andwatch the coming and going of the river trade.In 1990 the government forcibly relocateda village that had grown up in the 1970s inthe middle of the walled area of ‘Old Bagan’.We’re told one of the reasons for this was theincreased incidence of treasure hunting andgold prospecting around the ruins in the wakeof the 1988 street protests, when the authorities’attentions were diverted elsewhere.Some claim the villagers had a week’s noticeof the move; others say it was longer andthey put off the inevitable to the last minute.Either way, there was certainly resistance tothe uprooting of homes and belongings for anew home in a peanut field, now developedas the village of New Bagan.1SightsSee p 149 for information on temples in OldBagan.Archaeological MuseumMUSEUM(Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; admission $5; h9am-4.30pm)Housed in an out-of-place, 19th-century-styletemple, this government-run museum (seep 21 ) features many fine pieces from Bagan(reclining Buddhas, original images, inscribedstones and mural re-creations) andan unexpected room of modern-art renderingsof the temples.Bagan Golden PalacePALACE(Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; admission $5; h9am-4.30pm)Following similar government-mandated palacereconstruction jobs in Bago, Mandalayand Shwebo, this towering concrete-and-steelreinforcededifice was opened to much fanfarein 2008. Built opposite the excavated siteof the actual palace just in from the TharabarGate, it’s unlikely to bear much resemblanceto the original. Either way, it's a sign of theencroaching Disneyfication of Bagan.Old Bagan #e 0 500 m12Bupaya æ#GawdawpalinPahtoæ#4 # ÿ# â# ÿ 5#12 1ÿ#6AOld BaganJetty f## ÿ3AyeyarwadyRiverAOLDBAGANBagan-Nyaung U RdOld Baganæ Sights0 0.25 milesBTaungbi11#þú#792 # â#ÿ 10 ú#8æ#ú#æ#TharabarGateAnandaPahtoAnawraha Rd1 Archaeological Museum .....................A22 Bagan Golden Palace .......................... B1ÿ Sleeping3 Aye Yar River View Hotel..................... B14 Bagan Hotel .........................................A25 Bagan Thande Hotel............................A26 Bagan Thiripyitsaya SanctuaryResort ................................................A27 Hotel @ Tharabar Gate........................ B1ú Eating8 Be Kind to Animals the Moon ............. B19 Golden Myanmar ................................. B1Sarabha II ......................................(see 7)10 Sarahba III/Gyi Gyi’s .......................... B1Scoopy's ...................................... (see 8)þ Shopping11 Shwe War Thein HandicraftsShop................................................... B1Transport12 Horse Cart Stand.................................A24SleepingOld Bagan’s hotels provide views of the river,proximity to the temples and nice pool areas,but don’t necessarily offer much more comfortthan you get at New Bagan’s best – andless expensive – accommodation. Also, theycan fill up months in advance of peak season.All places listed have restaurants, barsand pools, plus satellite TV and extras likea minibar in the room. Prices listed here arewalk-in rates during peak season, and don’tinclude the 10% service charge and 10% governmenttax. Yangon agents often arrangediscounted rates.B12121BAGAN & SIGHTSCENTRAL MYANMAR SIGHTS OLD BAGAN