Sagaing (Burmese: စစ်ကိုင်းမြို့; MLCTS: sac kuing: mrui.; population estimate 300,000) is the chief city and capital of Sagaing Division in Myanmar. It is located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing is a religious and monastic center, with numerous Buddhist monasteries. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous hills along the ridge running parallel to the river. The central pagoda, Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, is connected by a set of covered staircases that run up the 240m hill.