After seeing the
Shwedagon Pagoda there are still other gems to see around Yangon. One of the other famous must see landmarks
include the Sule Pagoda located in the Colonial Quarter near the Hlaing
River. It’s hard to miss since it is a
permanent fixture on the downtown skyline.
The Sule Pagoda is believed to be constructed around 230 B.C.E. and once
had the hair of Buddha himself enshrined in the central stupa. The stupa or
zedi currently stands at 44 meters high (144 ft.) and it differs from other
designs in that its octagonal layers are usually curved and smooth.
The pagoda got
its name from the guardian spirit that resided in that spot. The spirit’s name was Sulerata, who is said
to have guided the monks to the nearby Singuttara Hill, the site of the
Shwedagon Pagoda. Nats (spirits) have
been worshipped for centuries in Myanmar even before the introduction of
Buddhism.
The entrance fee
is $5 and opens from 6am-10pm. Dress
appropriately when entering. Shoes must
be taken off. The best piece of advice
is to where sandals when visiting the major religious sites in Myanmar. The time it takes to remove your socks and
shoes is just a hassle so save time by wearing sandals. They are incredibly cheap to buy at nearby
markets. There are plenty of vendors
inside to sell fruit and flowers to leave an offering. One of the more interesting things I noticed
inside was the chance to buy some gold leafs and have it placed on the
stupa. A small wire cable system is
installed to place your gold leaf in a small carrier and can then be taken to
the top. A lady was in charge of it when
I first noticed worshippers placing their offerings on it. Once it reaches the
top another person will put the gold leaf on the stupa.
The next place
worth seeing is the Kyauk Htat Gyi Pagoda and its known for its 65 meter long
Reclining Buddha. Located just north of
Kandawagyi Lake along Shwedgondaing Road this site is next to Buddhist
monastery housing nearly 500 monks and a renowned Vipassana meditation
center. Constructed in 1907 and made of
wood according to the original pictures I witnessed there, it went under
massive renovation in the late 1960s paid by a local entrepreneur, local
Buddhists, and tourists. Originally
exposed to the elements it now reclines in a vast hangar to keep it pristine.
Once you enter
the hangar you can’t miss it! There are
plenty of opportunities to leave flowers and donations. As you walk around it you can see many
paintings of the Buddhists life as well as the names of those who donated for
the renovation costs. The most
impressive part of the Reclining Buddha was the feet. A raised platform is provided to get a better
vantage point too. There are over a 100
symbols inscribed on the feet. A small
directory is placed nearby explaining what each symbol means.
The entrance fee
is $5 and that is used to pay for the maintenance of the Reclining Buddha and
the education costs of the nearby monastery.
It is open daily from 6am-8pm.
Dress appropriately and if you have a wide-angle lens, this is the place
for it.
One of the more
interesting sites I got to see in Yangon were the 3 royal white elephants. While my guide and I were driving around town
he just asked if I’d like to see the famous white elephants. I said sure since I had never seen a white
elephant before. On our way there he was
telling me how interesting and beautiful they were and as soon as we arrived he
mentioned that they weren’t actually white but more pinkish in color! Anyways, Southeast Asian countries love their
elephants and the region’s rulers have prized albino pachyderms. They represent good luck, stability, and
prosperity. These three elephants were
discovered in the Rakhine forests and have a specially enclosed park for
them.
The Hsin Hpyu
Daw Park is located in the northern part of Yangon and during the business
hours the elephants are chained underneath a large pagoda-esque structure to
keep them out of the sun. It may be
difficult to see such large and majestic animals chained to the ground with
very little walking room but it’s just during operating hours and they are
given free range afterwards. The price
of admission was free and is open during regular business hours daily. There are information boards that give
specific information about the three elephants too.
A nice quiet
place to relax and get away from the busy life of Yangon is the Kandawgyi
Lake. Manmade and not very from the
Shwedagon Pagoda it’s a great place to enjoy the scenery and take things down a
notch. Kandawagyi translates to “royal
lake” and there are many places to stroll and sit. If you are traveling with children stop by
the nearby Kandawgyi Nature Park for a picnic or to see the small zoo.
You can’t miss
the Karaweik Palace once you’re there. A
mythically shaped barge that was built in the 70s it was designed to house the
country’s royalty. I only saw it from a
distance and didn’t have time to go inside.
The Nature Park is open 6am-10pm daily and the Karaweik Palace is open
noon-10m daily.
The other main
attraction I really enjoyed was the Kaba Aye Pagoda located just northeast of
Inya Lake. Translated as World Peace
Pagoda, it was built in 1952 by the first Prime Minister of independent Burma
in preparation for the 6th Buddhist Synod. The pagoda stands at 34 meters and the
attention to detail is outstanding inside.
The Kaba Aye
Pagoda is open daily from 6am-8pm and the entrance fee is $5. If you wish to take photos they will charge a
very small fee too. What I liked about
this place was circular platform surrounding the main pagoda and the amount of
opulence that went into it. The
atmosphere is quiet as there are were numerous monks in deep meditation and
many worshippers praying when I was there.
There are 4 main Buddha statues inside that commemorate the 4 Buddhas
who have already appeared to the world.
No one knows when the 5th will arrive. The main attraction inside is a room holding
Buddha relics including a really big Buddha about 2.5 meters tall made of
silver. If you have a wide angle lens,
this is the place to use it.
During the
construction of the Kaba Aye Pagoda the Maha Pasana Cave was also built. That translates as “cave of great
stone”. It is located slightly north of
the premises and is a replica of the Satta Panni Cave in India where the 1st
Buddhist Synod was convened. The cave is
139 meters long and 110 meters wide and is now used for various meetings and to
host examinations on the Tripitaka, the teachings of Buddha.
Of course
there’s plenty more to see in Yangon but these were my highlights and I hope
this as well as my photos encourage you to visit this amazing capital of
Southeast Asia.
Happy
traveling.
