South East Asian Trips

Situated in the capital, the Shwedagon Pagoda is probably the most well known and well frequented of Myanmar's tourist attractions. Rudyard Kipling referred to it as a 'beautiful winking wonder', and he wasn't far off the mark- the pagoda actually shimmers and sparkles in the sunlight because of the precious stones that cover it.

The pagoda was initially constructed sometime in the 11th century, supposedly as a reliquary for eight hairs of the Buddha; the present structure of the pagoda dates back to 1769. It's quite a magnificent sight, really: the stupa of the pagoda is tiled with over 8000 slabs of solid gold, and the apex of the stupa is ornamented with precious stones- diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and topaz. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

The pagoda is surrounded by hundreds of other buildings, mostly stupas and pavilions. The entire complex bristles with activity throughout the day (Myanmar's Buddhists hold it to be the most sacred place in the country), and even if you can't spare the time to visit any other tourist attractions, this is one place you should definitely visit.

The magnificent golden Shwedagon is the first sacred monument which the visitor to Myanmar can see from air or by sea, one of the wonders of the world. To Buddhists the Golden Shwedagon most sacred place of worship because it enshrined the sacred relics of the three earlier Buddhas and Eight Hair Relics of Gautama Buddha the Supreme Self-Enlightened.

One who attained Buddhahood 2540 years ago. To non-Buddhists, it is marvellous work of architecture conical in structure, a massive edifice towering 99.4 meters (326 feet) with the perimeter measuring 432.8 meters(1420 ft), glittering in gold and studded on the pinnacle with priceless gems.

The Golden umbrella (Hti) was recently replaced by a new one on 4th April 1999, and enriched with gold bells and jewellery spontaneously donated on the spot by the devotees. The Shwedagon is located in Yangon the capital metroplis of Myanmar. Other well frequented pagodas in Yangon are Sule Pagoda, Kaba Aye Pagoda among the many.