Mandalay: Burma's last royal capital

The last capital of the Burmese royal dynasty before British conquest, Mandalay preserves a rebuilt palace and a teak bridge among the world's longest.

A pedal tricycle or car with driver remains the most common way to travel around.

The Royal Palace of Mandalay, rebuilt after the destruction of World War II, occupies a large square area surrounded by walls and a moat.

Climbing toward Mandalay Hill, a long covered stairway leads to temples and golden stupas with a view over the entire city and the Irrawaddy River.

A few minutes away, the U Bein Bridge, constructed entirely of reclaimed teak wood, remains the world's longest wooden pedestrian bridge.

As evening approaches, the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which houses the 'world's largest book' engraved on hundreds of marble slabs, closes the day among its white stupas.

The 729 marble slabs of Kuthodaw Pagoda bear the entire Buddhist Pali canon inscribed stone by stone, a project that took years of work by hundreds of copying monks.

The U Bein Bridge, constructed in the 1800s by reusing wood from a dismantled royal palace, is particularly striking at sunset, when fishermen's silhouettes stand out against the sky.