Pegu, also known as Bago, city in southern Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), capital of Pegu Division, on the Pegu River, near Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon). The city is a rail junction in an area of rice production, and spur lines extend to teak forests in the nearby Pegu Yoma Mountains. A former major river port, the city still has an important fishing industry. Pottery and bronze statuettes are manufactured. Pegu is a Buddhist pilgrimage center and contains many outstanding pagodas, including the Kyaikpien, Mahazedi, Shwegugale, and Shwemawdaw; also in the area is the Shwethalyaung, a huge statue of the reclining Buddha, said to have been built in 994. Ruins of walls and palaces are also here, and nearby is the site of the ancient city of Hanthawaddy.
Perhaps founded in 573 by the Mon people, the community became the capital of the powerful Talaing Kingdom in the 14th century. It later was the capital of a united Burman kingdom during 1539-1599 and 1613-1634. Destroyed in 1757 and subsequently rebuilt, it served as capital of British, or Lower, Burma from 1852 to 1862. Population (1983) 150,528.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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