The temple is located to the west of
Bago, Myanmar. The Shwethalyaung Buddha is a reclining
Buddha statue that is long and in height. It is the largest Buddha statue in pre-colonial southeast Asia. The date of construction for the reclining Buddha is unknown, but is believed to date during the
Hanthawaddy kingdom. According to tradition the statue was created by King Migadippa in 994. The temple fell into disrepair before a renovation in the 15th century. It fell into disrepair again after King
Alaungpaya ransacked the area in 1757. British railway workers rediscovered the temple in 1881. In 1906, an iron shelter was constructed around the Buddha statue at the cost of
RS 1.5 million. U.S. Vice President
Richard Nixon visited the temple in 1953, and was protested by 80 communists. ==References==