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The golden pagoda of Shwedagon in Yangon
The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the world's most famous religious architectural works, a source of pride and the most sacred of all the pagodas in Myanmar. According to historical records, the Shwedagon Pagoda has a history of over 2,500 years (pre-Buddha's death), while archaeologists believe it was built between the 6th and 10th centuries.
The Shwedagon Pagoda complex comprises 1,000 individual pagodas surrounding a central tower. This colossal golden tower, reaching a height of 99 meters, is the centerpiece of the complex and consists of three main parts: the base, the body, and the spire. The entire tower is covered in a layer of pure gold, attached to the body with rivets. According to statistics, the lower half of the tower is covered with over 8,600 gold leaves, while the upper half has over 13,000.
The golden Swedagon Pagoda gleams in the night. Photo:Vietnam Airlines
The pagoda's crown-shaped spire is studded with thousands of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones, along with 1065 small golden bells. Shwedagon has become a popular tourist destination, attracting many visitors who come to worship and admire the pagoda's architectural beauty.
Golden Rock
Located more than 200 km from Yangon, Golden Rock always attracts tourists to this country because of the "strange" gold-plated rock situated at an altitude of 1,100 meters. The rock looks like it's about to roll down the mountain, but it is very stable and difficult to move, even though it only has a contact area of 78 cm2 with the mountain.
The people of Myanmar explain this stability by attributing it to the god Tawadeintha, who used a sacred boat to retrieve the rock and carry it to the top of the hill. The boat and ropes were then turned into stone and lie about 300 meters from Golden Rock to prevent the rock from falling.
A close-up view of the Golden Rock. Photo:kuriositas
Therefore, the locals strongly believe in its sacredness, often kneeling and kissing the rock. They believe that this will bring them wealth and prosperity. For many tourists, watching the sunset and sunrise, and admiring the rock perched on the cliff is a delightful experience. In the twilight, Golden Rock becomes shimmering and magical.
Shwezigon Golden Pagoda in Bagan
Bagan is home to a vast collection of magnificent Buddhist architectural structures, comparable to two of the world's greatest Buddhist temple complexes. Bagan boasts thousands of temples and pagodas, most of which have been destroyed, leaving only a few hundred temples, pagodas, and ruins. Shwezigon, the second largest Golden Pagoda in Myanmar, was built in the 12th century and also features a splendid pagoda structure similar to Shwedagon Pagoda.
This is the first golden pagoda built in Myanmar and also serves as a model for later pagodas. From a distance, visitors can sense the sacredness emanating from its sturdy architecture, with a cylindrical spire gilded in gold and resting on three square tiers.
Ananda Temple
Besides Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan also boasts Ananda Pagoda, one of the most beautiful, uniquely designed, exquisite, durable, and well-preserved pagodas in Bagan. Ananda was built around the same time, in the 11th-12th centuries, and is a testament to the golden age of the Bagan kingdom under the reign of the great King Tilinman.
The most striking feature of this temple is the four gilded Buddha statues, each over 10 meters tall, positioned in the four cardinal directions. Two of these original gilded Buddha statues, located in the north and south, display different facial expressions depending on the viewing distance – sometimes stern, sometimes tinged with sadness, and further away, revealing a radiant countenance.
Furthermore, Ananda Temple houses 1,442 exquisite bas-reliefs depicting the life of Buddha from his birth, growth, enlightenment, and passing into Nirvana. With its annual festival held in November, Ananda Temple is becoming a pilgrimage site for many Buddhists worldwide.
Ubein Bridge in Mandalay
Watching the sunset from the bridge is always a popular spot for tourists. Photo:Lam Linh
Besides admiring the magnificent gold-plated temples in this sacred Buddhist country, you should visit the Ubein Bridge in the ancient village of Amarapura. Located on the outskirts of the former capital Mandalay, the Ubein Bridge, the world's longest wooden bridge connecting the two banks of the Taungthamna River, is a popular spot for locals and Buddhist devotees to watch the sunset.
The nearly 200-year-old wooden bridge spanning the river is the way home for the villagers of Amarapura, the pilgrimage route for monks... You will never forget the spectacular sunset from this impressive bridge.
