Shwedagon Pagoda is the architectural masterpieces of the Yangon city and the tower itself covered with inlaid gold, topped with thousands of diamonds and rubies.
Most Myanmar people dreamed once pilgrim to Shwedagon – the thousands year old temple situated on the hilltop Singuttara, Yangon, Myanmar. The taxi driver will bring international visitors to the south gate to buy ticket, while the Burmese are allow to freely entrance from the remaining three ports (East, West and North). The fare to visit Shwedagon Pagoda is 8 USD.
Before stepping inside pagodas in Myanmar, Buddhist devotees and visitors must remove shoes, sandals, socks and walk barefoot only. You should be prepared plastic bags to keep your shoes because Shwedagon Pagoda is very large, you might enter at one gate but head out another.
Being the golden symbol of the country Myanmar, the Shwedagon is more than 2,500 years old, believed to be launched before the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. The tower and the curved roof os the pagoda are prominent on the blue sky, brings a sense of majesty to the sacred land of Myanmar.
The main tower of Shwedagon Pagoda is 99m high, and surrounded by 1,000 small towers keeping many sacred treasures of Buddhism. At the corners around the temple put binoculars, allow visitors to sightseeing with a closer observation. Though experienced the wars and natural disasters, the Shwedagon is still the world’s most superficial pagodas.
Shwedagon’s golden tower is the most spiritual sanctuary of the Burmese people. The tower is plated with spire gold while the top is also fitted with thousands of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and gold rattles. The most notable thing is that on a towering spire lit by 76-carat diamond. According to estimation, the temple is plated with up to 90 tons of gold.
Most of Myanmar people come to the pagoda in the afternoon. They wear traditional costume and bring the trays votives in groups of young and old.
Nearby are two lines of young walking and cleaning the pagoda courtyard under the command of a leader.
The pagoda has many altars and Buddha statues also covered with gold. This is a place for worshiping of the monks and the Myanmar people. From Yangon airport, you take a taxi to the Shwedagon Pagoda. It would take half an hour with prices ranging 5000-7000 MMK (8 USD).
