To the south of Mandalay, in the neighbourhood of Mahamuni Pagoda, there is a whole street devoted to stone- carving. Gold leaf manufacture is concentrated in the south-eastern part of the city. It is an occupation that is carried on as a cottage industry. Small bits of gold bullion are laboriously beaten out for days on end to get the required film-like thinness of the leaf. The beating is done by men and the piecing together of the films of gold leaves by girls at the approaches of pagodas.
Gold leaf is sold in packets which the devotees buy for gilding the pagodas and the images.
Other notable arts and crafts in Mandalay include woodcarving, ivory carving and gold embroidery. People from Mandalay excel in these arts and crafts. These products are placed among the most popular souvenirs. In the field of commerce and trade, Mandalay is the busiest trade centre in Upper Myanmar. Border trade from China, Thailand and India, as well as domestic trade from States and Divisions usually pass through Mandalay.