The glory of Myanmar kings who could unify the entire nation is proudly described in the history of Myanmar including King Alaung Mintaya who successfully built the third Myanmar Empire. Alaung Mintaya was not from royal blood. He was the son of the headman of Motsobo village who became well known as U Aung Zay Ya. In 1115 Myanmar era he built Motsobo as a royal city by the name of Yadana Theingha and constructed Shwebon Yadana Palace at the present site. The palace is now being reconstructed in its original form which structure is that of Dagaung era. The palace has twenty royal chambers.

This is the royal audience chamber with two large rooms. In the center of the front room, Thihathana throne or Lion throne is placed for the king to sit during royal audiences. This front room is painted in gold. The entire chamber, including roofs, walls, the throne and pillars decorated with turnery, is constructed with wood. Pillars decorated with turnery are 50 feet high. The bases of the pillars are also made of wood and the roof is also made of teak shingle with wood blocks placed between the shingles to keep them tight and firm. There are no iron bolts and hinges on the doors, but instead, wooden bars and wooden hinges are attached on the doors according to the ancient original form. Many doors are attached to the chamber to let the light come into it. The size of the inner room is as wide as the front room but it is painted in white to control the natural light.

At the back of the royal audience chamber is the main palace chamber decorated with many tires and spire-like roofs. It is the king’s bedchamber attached with two other rooms. In the front room, Bamayathana throne or Bee throne is placed where the royal families hold hair shampoo ceremony. Pinnacles on roofs, decorative accent on arches, and vertical ornamental embellishments at the roof corners and riches of the spires of the second chamber are the same as decorations on the roof of the first chamber according to the designs of Konebaung era.

Among the buildings which have been completed construction included the royal treasury and office building of the royal accounts are brick buildings painted in white. The ordinary employees work in the two buildings.

On the left side in the east of the palace ground, there lies the brick tomb containing the ossuary of King Alaung Mintaya under a building decorated with tires and spire like roof. On his return from operation in Yodaya, King Alaung Mintaya demised at Kinn Village in Mottama Township of Thaton District in 1122 Myanmar era. The King’s remains were carried to the royal city by waterway. The remains were buried in the north of the palace grounds.

There is a small building on the right side in the east of the palace grounds. The building keeps stone inscriptions of King Hsinbyushin, second son of King Alaung Mintaya. The stone inscriptions reveal how King Alaung Mintaya, his eldest son King Naungdawgyi and King Hsinbyushin made their utmost efforts for prosperity of the nation and the area of the Third Myanmar Empire as well.

By paying a study visit to the Shwebon Yadana Palace Site of King Alaung Mintaya in Shwebo, visitors may gain historical knowledge how ancient Myanmar Kings made their all-out efforts in unifying and building the nation as well as the architectural styles and artistic decorations of palace of ancient Myanmar Kings.