Designed as a copy of the Crown Prince House in Mandalay, and built from 1882 to 1892, the huge wooden monastery is the best place to start a visit in Salay.
Along two of its exterior sides are detailed original carvings displaying 19th-century court life and scenes from the Jataka (stories of the Buddha’s past lives) and Ramayana (one of India’s best-known legends); sadly another side’s pieces were looted in the 1980s. Inside, the 17th- to 19th-century pieces are behind glass cases, while the Bagan-era woodcarvings (including a massive throne backdrop) stand in open view.
The monastery was renovated twice in the 1990s and the government’s Department of Archaeology runs the site; on-site staff can point you to other nearby sites in and around the town.
