Posted November 2, 2019
The Visit
Today we visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, Burma’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage site. According to legend the pagoda is more than 2,500 years old dating back to the lifetime of the Buddha.
We had seen the Pagoda many times over the past few days from different points in the city, as it stands a whopping 326 feet tall and is hard to miss. It’s gold plated with the diamond studded spire, which also helps it stand out a bit.
You’ve Got to See This
Seeing the Pagoda up close and personal was a whole different experience. The sheer enormity of the Pagoda was mind-boggling. And besides the featured Pagoda, there’s a 144 acre complex full of golden stupas surrounding it! The pictures just don’t do it justice. I’d highly recommend a trip to Yangon to see it for yourself!
An Active Place of Worship
The pagoda is much more than a tourist attraction, it is the most important religious site in Myanmar. It is a very active place of worship. Scores of monks, pilgrims, and devotees mix among tourists at the monument with their offerings of flowers and incense.
Flowers Everywhere
There must have been half a dozen flower “shops” sprinkled around the complex supplying the beautiful flowers so many worshipers were purchasing as an offering to Buddha.
Celebrity for a Day
We saw some school groups at the Pagoda too. One boy, part of a group all in red numbered jerseys, walked arm in arm with this friends and shouted out a big “Hello” to Steve and I.
When we both said a big “Hello” back, he and his friends were very surprised. They were giggling and whooping it up. I think our greeter made a big hit with his friends that he “communicated” with the foreigners. We were happy to have made that kid a celebrity, if even for a day!
