Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
Located in the old capital of Yangon this is Myanmar’s holiest Buddhist structure. Monks, families and Buddhists view the pilgrimage to Shwedagon Pagoda in the same vain as Muslims recognise the Mecca pilgrimage as a must once in a lifetime. The religious community here has created a quiet space surrounded by many green trees accentuating the magnificent yellow of the temple.
Spreading over an area of 50,000m2, Shwedagon Pagoda was built on the sacred Singut tara Hill, with the highest tower standing at 99 meters. The entire temple area has Buddhist towers with exquisite architecture, but the giant main tower remains the centre of attention of all the faithful and tourists, The tower has seven gilded floors, weighs over a ton and is decorated with golden and silver bells and precious stones. The top floor is inlaid with more than 1,100 diamonds and 1.383 gems.
When entering Shwedagon Pagoda or any pagoda in Myanmar, you should keep in mind several important things: You can not wear sleeveless shirts and shorts you are required to cover your shoulders and knees, remove shoes and socks before en- tering any pagoda it is best to bring a bag with you to keep the shoes on you in case you exit at a different part of the temple). Avoid making any noise, do not turn your back to any Buddha and if you want to take photos respect the monks and local people. Female visitors are not allowed to have physical contact with the monks.
Shwedagon Pagoda is located in the city centre, making it convenient for tourists to visit. The Pagoda opens to visitors from 4:00-22:00, the admission prices for foreigners is 8USD.
Visiting Yangon, you can stay at highly recommended hotels such as the Belmond Governor’s Residence, Sule Shangri-La Yangon or SkyStar Hotel. Do pnt miss the opportunity to enjoy the culinary specialties of Myanmar such as tea leave salad, Shan rice, Nan Gyi Thohk noodles, Mohinga fish noodles and many more sold all over the city at affordable prices.
Most travel companies offer tours to Myanmar with city tours of Yangon and visits to Shwedagon Pagoda on the schedule, as well as various other unique sights in Myanmar r such as Bagan, Golden Rock Pagoda.
