South East Asian Trips

Kyaikhtiyo, more commonly known as the `Golden Rock' Pagoda, is exactly that- a huge, gold-plated boulder perched precariously atop a cliff. The pagoda is one of Myanmar's most well-known and most revered Buddhist shrines, and is situated in Mon state, about 210 km from Yangon. Built to house a relic - a hair of the Buddha himself- Kyaikhtiyo is over 2,500 years old. The rock on which the pagoda sits is completely gilded and can be seen gleaming in the sunshine for miles around.

The state of Shan lies more or less within the infamous 'Golden Triangle', and you might need a permit to visit it (or you should at least find out from your country's embassy in Yangon whether it's safe to visit). But if you can visit it, it's worth it- because Shan is perhaps Myanmar's most picturesque province. An area of thickly forested mountains, lakes, rivers and interesting hill tribes, Shan is known for its natural beauty; for the interesting customs and traditions of its people (the legendary 'long-necked women' of Burma are natives of Shan); and for its excellent handicrafts- particularly the textiles and weaves produced in the area. It's a good area to trek through, to explore, or to go shopping- for cloth, and for the local fruit you can buy in the 'floating markets' on the Ywama river- that's an experience in itself.

Myanmar has plenty in store for you if you're interested in history; there are lots of traces of past dynasties, mainly in the form of temples, pagodas and city walls. If it's history you're looking for, try your luck in Thaton with its pagodas, colonial mansions and ruined city walls, or Pyay - a centre for major archaeological work, and Kengtung -a town in the Shan state, known for its beautiful lake, its British colonial architecture, its Buddhist temples and its water buffalo market. For pure scenic beauty, Mawlamyine is hard to beat- it's truly breathtaking and was once an important teak port.

This Pagoda is situated on a rocky moutain 3615 ft above sea level. A massive bell-like stone around 80 ft in diameter is precariously perched at an impossible angle stop a rocky mountain tip. A pagoda was built on the top of the sacred rock, which is completely gilded presenting a majestic scenery.

The attraction of Kyaikhtiyo is that it offers about 7 1/2 miles of spirited mountain trekking, criss-crossing forests and bamboo groves with accompanying animals and birds of the forests. There are also rest camps and fast food stalls to cater to the pilgrims, recently a motor road is paved reaching right up to the foot of the pagoda pavements taking only two hours.

Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda is located in Mon State. It is about 20 kms from the town Kyaikhto. It is a 7.3 meters pagoda on top of a big "Golden Rock". The massive golden boulder is right on top of the Kyaikhto mountain.

Legend say that the boulder maintains its precarius balance due to a precisely placed Buddha hair inside the pagoda. Once there was a King who received the Buddha's hair in the 11th century from a hermit.

The hermit instructed the King to search for a boulder whose shape resembled the hermit's head. Then they enshrined the hair in the pagoda and placed on top of the boulder. The King was said to have supernatural power due to his father who was a Zawgyi, an alchemist, and his mother, a Naga, dragon princess.

Many visitors from far and near come to visit this place, as they considered Kyaikhiyo as a Sacred place like other pagodas in Myanmar.