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Shwedagon Golden Pagoda in Yangon
Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most famous religious structures in the world, the pride and also the most sacred place among the pagodas in Myanmar. According to historical records, Shwedagon Pagoda has a history of more than 2,500 years (before the Buddha passed away), and archaeologists believe that the pagoda was built between the 6th and 10th centuries.
The Shwedagon Golden Pagoda complex consists of 1,000 pagodas surrounding the central tower. This giant golden tower, 99m high, is the focal point of the pagoda, consisting of three main parts: the base of the tower, the body of the tower, and the top of the tower. The entire tower is plated with a layer of pure gold on the outside, attached to the tower body with rivets. According to statistics, the lower half of the tower is plated with more than 8,600 gold leaves, and the upper half is more than 13,000 gold leaves.
The golden Shwedagon Pagoda shimmers at night. Photo:Vietnam Airlines
The top of the tower is shaped like a crown, studded with thousands of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones, along with 1065 small golden bells. Shwedagon has become a destination that attracts many tourists to visit, worship Buddha and admire the architectural beauty of the pagoda.
Golden Rock
Golden Rock, located more than 200 km from Yangon, always attracts tourists when coming to this country because of the "strangeness" of the gold-plated rock located at an altitude of 1,100 m. The rock looks like it is about to roll down the mountain, but it is very sturdy and difficult to move even though it only touches the mountain for a mere 78 cm2.
The Burmese people explain this stability by saying that the god Tawadeintha used his divine boat to retrieve the rock and carry it to the top of the hill. The boat and rope were turned into stone and placed about 300m away from the Golden Rock to keep the rock from falling.
Close-up of Golden Rock. Photo:kuriositas
Therefore, the people here believe in the sacredness, often kneeling and kissing the rock. They believe that it will help them become rich and prosperous. For many tourists, watching the sunset and sunrise, watching the rock precariously on the cliff is an interesting thing. In the afternoon, Golden Rock becomes shimmering and magical.
Shwezigon Golden Pagoda in Bagan
Bagan is an area with many magnificent and massive Buddhist architectural works, comparable to the two great Buddhist temple complexes in the world. Bagan has thousands of pagodas and towers, most of which have been destroyed, leaving only a few hundred pagodas, towers and ruins. Shwezigon is the second largest Golden Pagoda in Myanmar, built in the 12th century and also has a magnificent pagoda and tower structure similar to Swedagon Pagoda.
This is the first golden pagoda built in Burma and is also a typical model for later pagodas. From afar, visitors will feel the sacredness emanating from the solid architecture, the top cylindrical tower is gilded with gold, placed on three square towers.
Ananda Temple
Besides Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan also has Ananda Pagoda, one of the most beautiful pagodas with unique, sophisticated, durable and best preserved architecture in Bagan. Ananda was built around the same time in the 11th - 12th century. This is a testament to the golden age of the Bagan kingdom under the reign of the great King Tilinman.
The most impressive feature of this temple is the four gilded Buddha statues, each over 10 meters high, located in four directions. Of these, the two original gilded Buddha statues in the North and South show different facial expressions when viewed from different distances, sometimes very stern, sometimes with a hint of sadness, and if you move a little further away, you can see the Buddha's cheerful expression.
In addition, Ananda Pagoda also contains 1,442 exquisite reliefs depicting the life of Buddha from birth, growing up, attaining enlightenment and reaching nirvana. With the festival held annually in November, Ananda Pagoda is becoming a pilgrimage site for many Buddhists around the world.
U Bein Bridge in Mandalay
Watching the sunset on the bridge is always an attractive place for tourists. Photo:Lam Linh
In addition to admiring the magnificent gilded pagodas in this sacred Buddhist country, you should visit U Bein Bridge in the ancient village of Amarapura. Located on the outskirts of the ancient capital of Mandalay, the world's longest wooden bridge, U Bein, connects the two banks of the Taungthamna River and is a familiar place for locals and Buddhists to watch the sunset.
The nearly 200-year-old wooden bridge across the river is the way home for the villagers of Amarapura, the pilgrimage route for monks... You will never forget if you once watch the brilliant sunset on this impressive bridge.
