Bago

The historical town of Pegu, today Bago, situated about 100 kilometers northeast of Yangon, was founded in 573 by two Mon princes and soon developed into the capital of the most important realm of the Mon, a people, which has in the meantime been almost completely assimilated into the people of the Burmans.

Although the town had been founded by Mons and was for most of the time mainly inhabited by Mons, Bago often had Burmanese regents. Once, for about 10 years at the beginning of the 17th century, even a Portuguese adventurer established himself as King of the region.

In 1757 the major part of Bago was destroyed by the Burmanese King and Conqueror Alaungpaya. Therefore only a few buildings remind the visitor of the history of the town. They are almost without exception of a religious nature.