The Shwedagon Pagoda is an absolutely must-see destination in Yangon. Our guide took us there in the early evening so we could enjoy looking at the change of colour as night fell and the pagoda became lit up. The pagoda sits on top a hill, so we used the north entrance lift to get there. The gilded stupa is 326 feet (99 m) tall and very impressive indeed, with a jewel-encrusted top piece. The Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar as it is believed to house relics of four previous Buddhas. There are many stupas and prayer halls here, and many many worshippers and tourists alike. We spent over an hour here and could easily have spent longer as there was so much to see. And, as you will see in the photos below, everyone wanted their photo taken.
Ultimately though, this was a place of worship ………...
We took the stairs back to ground level, walking through more gilded halls with stalls selling temple offerings and small trinkets. This did mean though that we had to walk through the carpark in our bare feet to collect our shoes and socks, but it was worth it.
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