Mandalay City, the second largest city after the capital Yangon is known as YA-Da-Na-Bon (cluster of gems) NAY-PYAY-DAW (capital city) in olden days. It is also called the golden capital Mandalay.

Mandalay City came into existence on Sunday 3rd, May in the year AD 1859. At the same time, the cities walls, royal moat, Mahalawka Marazain Pagoda, Tripitaka (Sacred Buddhist Teachings) Royal library, ThuDhamma Zayat (Religious resting place for pilgrims or travelers), MahaAthuLawayan monastery and the Dhamma Myitzu Pathan Zayat or Ordination Hall were also built.

By looking at these massive city walls and the Hugh royal moat, you can imagine the greatness and might of Myanmar's monarchy which reigns supreme in those olden days. Each side of the royal city wall is a mile two furlongs long, and all four walls has a total length of 5 miles 1 furlong and rectangular in shape.

Its height is 27 feet and its width is 10 feet. All along the city walls there are 3800 merlons for musket shooting, thus with this we can contemplate the immense might of the military of our ancient Myanmar monarchies. Each of the musket shooting holes is two feet nine inches wide.

The four city walls have 12 large main gates, 4 Hugh tiered roof outlook towers, 32 smaller tiered roof outlook towers, altogether 48 of the tiered roof outlook towers.

On each city wall there are 3 gates. So, at all the four sides of the wall there are 12 gates and all main gates are connected by bridges crossing the royal moat.

The royal moat is 225 feet wide and 11 feet deep.

The middle gates leading to the palace are named " Dat Ta-Gaa " which means doors mandated with special powers and the small gates on the left and right side of the "Dat" gates, 12 gates in all, are called "Mate" which means adjourning gates.

The gate facing the south, the Mingalar (or) Kyaw Moe gate means auspicious, good fortune and glory.

In conclusion, the water in the royal moat, the old reddish bricks retaining the city walls and the musket holes you can see in the city walls, reveals to you about our past glory, patriotism, national culture and custom to whoever visit this well known ancient royal city of the last Myanmar Kings.