U Bein Bridge

U Bein Bridge is a teakwood footbridge that spans Taungthaman Lake near the township of Amarapura in Mandalay Region, Myanmar. The bridge measures roughly 1.2 kilometres and is built almost entirely of teak reclaimed from a former royal palace.

The bridge is notable for its long line of teak posts set into the lake and for offering extensive waterfront views; many visitors cross it on foot, take boat trips under and beside it, and photograph it at sunrise and sunset. The structure is supported by more than one thousand teak posts and remains a working pedestrian crossing.

The bridge was constructed in the mid-19th century by U Bein, a local mayor, using timber salvaged from the royal palace at Inwa as Amarapura ceased to be the royal capital. It has been maintained and repaired periodically since then to preserve the wooden structure.

U Bein Bridge lies on Taungthaman Lake just outside Amarapura, a township immediately southwest of Mandalay city in central Myanmar. The site is accessible by road from Mandalay and by small boats across the lake.

• Length and construction: Crosses Taungthaman Lake and is the world's longest and oldest surviving teakwood bridge at about 1.2 kilometres in length.
• Best time to visit: Best light and photographic conditions occur at sunrise and sunset, when the wooden bridge is reflected in the lake and local fishermen are active.