1. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon
Shwedagon Pagoda is one of most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Myanmar. The 100m tall stupa situated on Singuttara Hill majestically illuminates the skyline above the Yangon city. The stupa is covered in gold plates, gold leaf and its throne is decorated with diamonds and other precious gem stones.
2. Swezigon Pagoda, Bgan
Otherwise known as “The Golden Sandbank”, the Swezigon Pagoda has a legend about its inception. According to the story, the King of Bagan’s white elephant was the one that chose the location of the pagoda because it was carrying a tooth relic of the Buddha, donated by the King of Sri Lanka. The Swezigon Pagoda is gilded shimmering gold from the layers of gold leaf covering the sandstone underneath. Many consider it to be the most beautiful monument in Bagan.
3. Kyaikthiyo Golden Rock
Discover one of Myanmar’s holiest pilgrimage sites, the Golden Rock (Kyaikthiyo), a boulder shrine covered in gold leaf that delicately, miraculously balances at the edge of a cliff. No other natural wonder like it exists in the world. The gravity defying boulder is thought to be imbued with celestial properties by a holy hair relic of the Buddha.
4. Mahamuni, Mandalay
The Mahamuni (“Great Sage”) Buddha is the most revered Buddha image in Myanmar. Religious mythology recalls that the image was one of only five made during the Buddha’s lifetime and captures his exact likeness. Throughout the rise and fall of ancient kingdoms, the Mahamuni Buddha was a symbol of victory and fiercely sought after by competing kings.
5. Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda, Pindaya
Since the 18th century, local devotees have come to the Pindaya caves to worship and to pay respect by adding an image of the Buddha to the caves each time they visited. This network of three limestone caves, which run from north to south, have now amassed over 8,000 Buddha images of varying size, style, and material, an impressive, spellbinding testament to the Buddhist faith. There’s even a legend that states that there’s a passage at the end of the southernmost cave, currently blocked-off, that will lead to the city of Bagan.
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