3 Best Sights in Myanmar

A Myanmar Cultural Heritage Site, the towering Yout-Saun-Kyaung monastery (1882) is Salé's major point of interest for its superb, intricately carved teak-wood figures depicting stories from the Buddha's 550 previous lives. Beautiful, strange, and often fantastical, these remarkably expressive figures were carved by the region's most eminent sculptors and is kept in tip-top condition by resident monks (it was renovated in 2003 with government funds). The monastery is also home to the Salé Museum, which displays several centuries of artifacts, including notable Buddhist sculptures, colorful carved furniture, and a rare paper writing tablet used for Buddhist rituals. Part of the museum is devoted to U Pone Nya (c.1807-1867), the renowned Burmese writer, satirist, and playwright, who was born in Salé.

This serenely monumental Buddha, completely covered in gold, dates back to the late 13th or early 14th century and is said to be the largest lacquer construction of the Buddha in Myanmar.

Sasana Yaunggyi Monastery is noted for its 99 colorful mural paintings lodged in an intricately carved and gilded interior wooden wall.