Gold Pounders' District
Local worshippers will often put gold leaf onto images of the Buddha, and this is where the bits are made, each pounded between heavy blocks by muscular craftsmen. At
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Shopping areas in Mandalay are a bit spread out, so hiring a taxi would be most convenient way to visit the stores we recommend. Mandalay is known for its handicrafts, especially puppets. These can be purchased at Moustache Brothers and Mandalay Marionettes . If you've got a ride and fancy some more shopping, there are rows of stone carvers’ workshops west of Mahamuni Temple where slabs of stone are chipped, carved, and polished into Buddhas of varying sizes and into more manageable souvenirs like marble elephants. If your time is limited in Mandalay, the easiest place to buy souvenirs is at Mandalay Hill, where there are vendors on the lower-level steps.
Local worshippers will often put gold leaf onto images of the Buddha, and this is where the bits are made, each pounded between heavy blocks by muscular craftsmen. At
A warren of worktables, this jam-packed market is filled with jade traders inspecting uncut pieces and then having them cut, shaped, and polished to their specifications. The trading floor could give Wall Street a run for its money, with buyers and sellers bent over tables, intently discussing business. Outside, on the eastern side of the market, the cutting and polishing continues. If you do want to buy jade, it's best to come here with a reputable guide.
For impressive embroidered tapestries, bronze sculptures, and carved wood and stone pieces, visit Soe Moe, where the staff can arrange for your purchases to be shipped to Yangon.
In the same building as vegetarian restaurant Marie Min, Sunflower sells attractive bronze and wood carvings.
Mandalay's oldest market dates back to King Mindon (father of Thebaw, the last king of Burma). The original structure has been replaced by a Chinese-style mall, but the hive of activity outside is more interesting than the household goods sold within. A wide array of produce is available here, neatly grouped in colorful piles, and locals come out in full force to do their marketing. Dried shrimp and fish paste make good, nonperishable souvenirs.