The history alone might be enough to lure you to the gorgeous pagoda. It surely has a rich and vivid, exciting history, and would be fascinating to see on that basis.
But if you require more reasons to visit, you may be interested in the treasures. The relics are enclosed within, to be sure, and those relics are sacred riches themselves. In addition to that, just the stupa alone of the pagoda is covered with 8,688 solid gold blocks. The top of the stupa holds 5,448 diamonds and a combination of 2,317 sapphires, rubies and topaz. There is an emerald placed in the middle. It is there to capture the sun’s rays, and does that best at sunrise and sunset. Below the golden stupa are 7 more gold blocks, which are attached to 1,485 bells. Of those bells, 420 are made of pure silver, and 1, 065 are made out of gold.
It is rumored that even more riches lay hidden deep within, offerings made long ago to the relics of the Buddhas. This has never been proven, but it adds to the mystery and lore of this sacred site.
Architectural interest would be another reason to visit the Shwedagon. Constructed a massive scale, bejeweled and elaborate, the Shwedagon is a triumph of design. The main attraction, or stupa, where the primary gold and jewels adorn is in itself an enormous building. It measures 1,421 ft around (433 meters),and that is describing only the main pagoda. There are 8 sides to the Shwedagon, 64 stupas, 4 main stairwells, a giant central terrace measuring 902 ft (275 meters) from north to south and 705 ft (215) meters from east to west, and many surrounding pagodas lined all along the interior courtyard of the Shwedagon.
This fascinating, massive construction must be seen to be believed. Within its vast enclosures and walls lie sphinxes, Buddha statues, Bodhi trees, planetary posts, an area for wishing, a courtyard in which to feed pigeons, and many temples.
And that does not even begin to cover all of the wonders contained within. That is just a sampling of all the beauty and grandeur that awaits when you choose to visit this sacred and special place. If you are traveling to Myanmar, there are so many reasons to see this holy place, to let it amaze you, and to pay your honors to it.
It is recommended to travelers that the best times to view the Shwedagon are at sunrise or at sunset. This is because of the large, reflective emerald that sits in the center of the golden stupa. That emerald catches the changing light and reflects it out beautifully. The Shwedagon Pagoda is open every day from 4AM to 9PM. It is important to note that, though the Shwedagon opens at 4AM, tickets for entrance are not sold to foreign visitors until 6AM.
There are a few options one can take for entering the Shwedagon. Some choose to walk up the stairways, which are at the north, south, east and west points of the building. Most commonly used is the south entrance, because that stairway comes in off of the city’s center. This stairway has 104 steps. The west entrance was closed for many decades, as this is the one that suffered fire destruction in 1931. It is now reopened, and is the longest of all the staircases, with 166 steps. At the north entrance, the stairway was constructed in 1460 and has 128 steps. Finally, the eastern entrance comes in off of the street bazaars below. There are 118 steps here, and the area suffered much damage during the British attacks in 1852. This staircase is still open, however, and is the one closest to all of the vendors and shop carts below. There are even teahouses on the stairway along this entrance.
If one chooses not to walk up, there are elevators that take you straight to the pagoda itself, and to the area where tickets are sold to foreign visitors. It can depend on the size of the crowds waiting for the elevator, and one’s own physical fitness, whether it is more or less preferable to choose an elevator over the stairs. However, if you do avoid the stairs, you will also miss out on some valuable history that can be located along the way on the 4 great staircases.
There is much to see and experience at the Shwedagon Pagoda, and it is an unforgettable sightseeing opportunity that should not be missed during any trip to Myanmar
Professional guide service for an insightful tour of Shwedagon Pagoda is available on request.Duration of the tour tour is 3 hours and professional guide service fee is US$25.
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