The name Mandalay conjures up alluring ideas of a serene and peaceful place, being timeless and quintessentially Asian. Unfortunately the 21st century Mandalay is a fast growing, slightly scruffy place which is developing along the lines of a modern Chinese city with quite a lot of noisy traffic. Fortunately there are more than enough attractions in and around this former royal capital to make a visit well worthwhile. The city is at the hub of river routes from China and India and land routes from the Shan massif and Thailand beyond. Built along banks of the Irrawaddy River in the heart of Upper Burma, King Mindon moved the royal capital to the site from nearby Amarapura in 1856 and constructed the new capital and the staggering Mandalay Palace; the palace-city was vast. The original moat and walls still stand a mile and a half on each side. These enclosed the 'forbidden city', in which lay a complex network of teak palaces, throne halls and pavilions. Tragically the complex was destroyed by an incendiary bomb in the Second World War. Mandalay is also Myanmar's spiritual capital; home to hundreds of monasteries and pagodas as well as the Mahamuni pagoda, the resting place of the most venerated Buddha statue in the city. Mandalay is the perfect base for visiting the old royal capitals of Ava and Amarapura as well as the religious site of Sagaing and Mingun. Watching the sunset from either Mandalay Hill or over the world's longest teak bridge are the perfect way to finish a visit to this 'city of gems'.