Asia
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Mandalay Region
Mandalay
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King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop

King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop, Mandalay: Address, Phone Number, King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop Reviews: 4/5

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King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop

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King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop
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#2 of 17 Shopping in Mandalay
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
208 within 3 miles
NOVA Coffee
342
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Aye Myit Tar Myanmar Restaurant
351
0.3 mi$ • Asian • Burmese • Vegetarian Friendly
Shan Ma Ma
785
0.4 mi$ • Asian • Burmese • Vegetarian Friendly
Mangia
61
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Mogok Daw Shan Noodle
114
0.3 mi$ • Asian • Soups • Burmese
Station 36
38
0.1 miBar • Cafe • European • Vegetarian Friendly
Diamond Ring Pure Vegetarian Indian Restaurant
47
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Vegetarian Friendly
La La Cafe'
8
455 ft$ • Healthy • South American • Central American
Super 81
263
0.4 mi$ • Chinese • Asian • Burmese
Unique Mandalay Brasserie
2
0.2 mi$$$$ • Quick Bites • French • Indian
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Attractions
31 within 6 miles
St. Joseph's Church (Mandalay)
10
0.3 miReligious Sites
Mahamuni Pagoda
1,513
1.2 miReligious Sites • Monuments & Statues
Maha Myat Muni Pagoda- Mahamuni Buddha Temple
234
1.2 miReligious Sites
Shwenandaw Monastery
1,878
2.9 miArchitectural Buildings • Religious Sites
Mandalay Marionettes Theater
205
1.6 miTheaters
Mandalay Yatanar Mall
26
0.6 miShopping Malls
Jade Market
158
1 miFlea & Street Markets
Kuthodaw Pagoda & the World's Largest Book
1,689
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
Sanda Muni Paya
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2.9 miReligious Sites
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1.3 miReligious Sites
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
124 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
64
Average
25
Poor
5
Terrible
2
Hemanthi G
Los Angeles, CA9 contributions
Great Place to visit
I was shocked to see how magical the men work to clean up the gold leaf to make jewellery. I wish I can go back there to buy more Jewellery. I did not had enouh cash to buy a small piece of pendent that really liked. That was one of a kind. Please visit this place and support them.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
milliesmum2016
Christchurch, New Zealand1,809 contributions
So Interesting!
Fancy that! All that goldleaf on all the Buddhas and Pagodas is still being beaten into submission by hand in little workshops like this one all over Burma. The workers must be SO fit. The gold is worked with hand welded mallets and chamois leather on raised blocks. Apparently, it takes 5 hours to work a piece of gold into leaf thinness, suitable for application. The men have to take regular breaks (not surprised!) and they all have ingenious little timers made from coconut shells and water to tell them when to stop. Then you can go and see the cutting packing rooms where the women are working, packaging the leaf into various quantitiies and cutting to various sizes. A bit like Rapunsel really.
The showroom is full of pieces of ornament and jewellery using the leaf but the most interesting purchase is the packets of gold leaf, which aren't very expensive, really, and make marvellous and novel gifts for people back home. Perfect - so light and take up no room in your bag. This is also culinary grade leaf, so it even has practical application in your kitchen. Win!
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
THUNDERHORSE
Staten Island, NY444 contributions
Labor Intensive
So labor intensive...was glad to witness it. A strong cultural and religious task. Aside from that, wouldn't suggest making any purchases...just the small sample with brochure was enough for me.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
HariDxb
Dubai, United Arab Emirates154 contributions
Gold foil (leaf) Factory
Solo
For many years I use to wonder how they make silver or gold foils. Well it's a nice little workshop where the artisans show you the entire process of making gold leafs. There is a small shop which sells gold leafed products (which might be little overpriced) as a souvenir I bought a pack of 10 gold leafs for 12000MMK (equivalent to 8$. I can give one leaf as souvenir to my friends back in Dubai.
Written August 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cameron Y
Auckland, New Zealand335 contributions
My back aches watching them work.
I was keen to see one of the gold leaf workshops during my visit to Myanmar. It was FREE, informative and worth the 15 or so minutes we spent there.
We bought some of the small gold leaf packs as presents for friends and family back home. My friend traveling with me actually added a piece of gold leaf at one of the temples during our stay. I wish I had done the same.
The work seemed to be very physical. I could not imagine doing that for 30mins. They do it for a living.
Much has been written about the prices at the store. You will always find some places with better prices. Think of the cheap souvenirs you can buy at home for your own country...
I bought some items as I wanted to support the business. The quality of the products seemed better than cheaper lookalikes we had seen in markets. I would like to think the products they sold were made with the gold leaf produced at the workshop.
Written August 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
AP194R
Perth, Australia792 contributions
Interesting
Friends
Went on tour of this workshop and it was like stepping back in time with 3 men beating the gold leaf that was wrapped in bamboo paper and dear skin paper thin with big hammers and watching the labies manually put on cardboard and pack it into small bags for sale . Quite interesting
Written April 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
wendyanddavid536
Solihull, UK2,001 contributions
Fascinating Hard Work
Couples
A fascinating gold leaf producing workshop where a tiny 32 gram ingot of gold is hammered, cut and hammered again repeatedly until 2600 pieces of gold leaf are produced. watching the men repeatedly hammering the gold, and women placing the fantastically delicate gold leaf, about 0.1 microns thick, into bamboo paper packets is amazing.
Written February 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SylvanoT
Montreal, Canada633 contributions
Show for tourists
Couples
We walked to this place as opposed to most visitors who come with a tour bus. So we were able to see how much of a show it is. When a bus pulls up, the staff all start pounding on the gold. As soon as the bus leaves, they are all on their phones, killing time until the next bus. Yes they do make gold leaf but most of it is mostly a show for tourists. Their prices are way more expensive than at a temple's door.
Written January 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
monkeygirl18
Greater Adelaide, Australia109 contributions
Gold Lead
Couples
Saw the process of making gold leaf, not that interesting men bashing gold leaf with large hammers in very hot conditions, and hard manual labour, and as usual a shop for the finished product
Written September 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
KathyLBerkshire
Berkshire202 contributions
Looked more like torture than work
Couples
It seems hard to believe all gold leaf in Myanmar is made like this. Especially given the amount everyone puts on the pagodas. Ridiculously hard work to mash a small piece of gold into leaf sheets.
Written March 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Frequently Asked Questions about King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop
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