Visit Shwedagon Pagoda - a famous gold-plated shrine in Myanmar

Located in the capital Yangon of Myanmar and hundreds of years old, Shwedagon Pagoda is a long-famous place for local people in particular and tourists from all over because of many magical legends associated with it. It. Shwedagon Pagoda is also considered a holy place for Buddhists, welcoming millions of visitors each year just to see the massive and splendid architecture, studded with 90 tons of gold and thousands of diamonds and stones. Colorful treasures inside this sacred site

Although it is a Buddhist country, in this country there are still people who follow other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Christianity,... but Buddhism still accounts for the largest proportion with nearly 90% of the population. around the country. Buddhist culture is also expressed through the way people build temples and pagodas. Wherever there are footsteps, there are the presence of temples, pagodas and towers, they are present everywhere in the territory, both It is a place of prayer and a resting place for Myanmar people on hot days. Besides, Myanmar is also a country with rich resources from oil to precious stones, so people often donate their assets to temples in gold or diamonds, to be inlaid on statues. and the temple, praying for blessings and peace for the whole family, and one of the oldest temples, revered and worshiped by people for many generations, is Shwedagon Pagoda.
There are many legends and historical stories related to this sacred golden pagoda. Some people say it is more than 2,500 years old, but there are also documents showing that it was only built a few hundred years ago. That mysterious body makes Shwedagon even more sacred, becoming a spiritual place since ancient times, a destination for pious people who donated a lot of gold and precious stones to the pagoda to enhance its brilliant beauty. splendor of these ancient ruins. Then gradually over time, it became a custom and practice, people continued to decorate the temple with dozens of tons of gold to show their respect. Although the current beauty of Shwedagon is not inherent, due to many events over time, from earthquakes to fires, most of the temple's architecture had to be restored. But under the hands of skilled artisans and the contributions of the people, Shwedagon is now more magnificent than ever, a destination that cannot be missed when visiting the capital Yangon, and there is one rule: Neighboring houses in the city are not allowed to build higher than the temple tower to respect this sacred symbol.
It can be said that Shwedagon Pagoda is located in a prominent location in the heart of Yangon city, near a green park full of trees and just west of Kandawgyi Lake. When traveling from afar, we can see the huge golden towers, standing tall and extremely magnificent, surrounded by countless houses and architecture in the area. But when you get closer, this architecture is even taller and more majestic, with the entrance being hundreds of vertical stairs, extending up to the towers above with a height of more than one hundred meters. Next to the entrance is a ticket counter for 5 USD/person, which is also a place to remove shoes and instruct you on the rules you must follow before stepping inside.
Shwedagon Pagoda's opening hours are from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., but the best time to visit the pagoda is late afternoon, when the rays of sunlight fade on the top of the tower, which is also the time when people flock to the temple. Here, performing the rituals piously, they can follow individuals, or families or even a village gathered together. Because for the people of Myanmar, coming to this sacred temple is a joy. They feel happy when they can perform the ritual fully and completely. The more regularly they perform the ritual, the more peaceful their hearts will be. and happy. That's why when you come here in the evening, you will admire hundreds of bright candles lit by pious people who come here every day, replacing electric lights and even the moonlight every night. shine.
When entering the interior space, the first thing that attracts visitors' attention is the main tower, also known as the 99m high pagoda, located on a square ground higher than the ground, around the 4 corners of the main tower. There are 4 small towers and 60 other towers scattered throughout the temple grounds. It can be said that this stupa is the most majestic architecture in the grounds of Shwedagon Pagoda. Thanks to its high location, we can see this architecture from all over the city. At the top is the roof with a pointed peak designed in the shape of an umbrella with golden bells attached, decorated with rare and exquisite colored gemstones, and the highest floor, is popular with the people. Myanmar is inlaid with more than 1,000 pieces, creating a scene sparkling with strange colors under the burning sun of Myanmar. And to create a brilliant golden light at night, it is estimated that more than 90 tons of gold were plated and high-power electric lights were used on it, making the architecture and pagodas stand out even more throughout the
If you look around you can see small temples worshiping Buddha images, each of which represents a day of the week, with Wednesday being divided into two. Corresponding to Western astrology, each small temple will have a planet and a mascot associated with that planet. When Myanmar people come to this temple, they will go to the temple corresponding to their birthday to worship, offer yellow flowers and then water the Buddha statues with water in a basin in a respectful way. And no matter what time you come, you will see the silhouettes of diligent women, diligently cleaning and sweeping the temple grounds. No one pays and no one forces them to do it, but it is a very beautiful cultural feature that is deeply imprinted in the subconscious of the Myanmar people, when they value pagodas and the place where Buddha resides as their own. their house, so whether they are people or monks in the temple, everyone has the spirit to preserve the property in the temple in the most complete way.
Not only is it a place to preserve many important historical milestones, Shwedagon Pagoda is also a place to store antiques and treasures of mysterious origin. Like the legend of two Burmese merchant brothers who met the Buddha after he reached the state of enlightenment, and he gave them 8 precious hairs and told them where to keep them. The two cousins ​​followed suit, stored the hairs in a room to worship, then built a temple around it and guard it to this day. Although no one knows the true shape of Shakyamuni Buddha's 8 hairs, we know that the storage area is very secret and not open to the public
In addition to the sacred and top-secret main stupa, the large complex of Shwedagon Pagoda also has notable works such as the Naungdawgyi Hall, known to only allow men to enter the main hall, and the Bell Hall where There is a giant bell on display weighing up to 23 tons. In addition, there is another hall displaying a 9-meter-tall image of the Buddha sitting with a golden robe draped over his body, while another hall has stories of the Buddha's past lives told through frescoes