Bago's main attraction is the Shwemawdaw pagoda. Its stupa rises to an incredible 144m, i.e. even higher than Yangon's Shwedagon. The sanctuary is more than a 1000 years old. It was founded by two tradesmen to house some of Buddha's hairs. Then king Anurama added a sacred tooth in 982, and he was imitated by fellow king Rajadarit who enlarged the collection in 1385. Kings also kept making the stupa higher and higher till it reached today's 114m.
There are other nice places in Bago, like the Kyathatwaing monastery and the Kyaikpun.