5 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
30 minutes on foot from Yangon center
When to go
From December to March
Minimum stay
A few hours
La pagode Shwesigon (Burma)
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avec1o
Practical information about La pagode Shwesigon
Reviews of La pagode Shwesigon
The Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the city of Yangon and is a marvelous place that you really should visit. Otherwise you would be missing out on one of the country's most beautiful attractions on your trip to Myanmar.
My suggestion:
If you are a woman, consider covering your shoulders, otherwise they'll deck you out in a shawl of dubious taste, to say the least (mine was pink!). Make sure you have some dollars with you beforehand: the exchange rate offered at the pagoda is not particularly good!
Summary:
It was a beautiful evening when I went there. You can easily access the pagoda by the east facade, past colonial houses and accompanied by the sounds of sugarcane juicers, ball games in progress, and peddlers of trinkets, amulets, miniature Buddhas and incense.
The pagoda is so incredible, with its impressive size, the richness of its adornment, the ambiance it gives off and its presence.
The Buddhas are anointed with "blessed water", the candles lit, and the pilgrims kneel – Everywhere sparkles and gleams, whether for real or artificially, in red, green or gold, and via electricity or sunlight – a slow human dance; the silent choreography of the Burmese on pilgrimage.
Visiting at the end of the day, as the light was fading, enabled me to not only avoid the hordes of tourists but also to understand the true meaning of the expression "midnight blue", and to appreciate the whole beauty of that color as a backdrop to this brilliantly golden building.
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avec1o
You can't miss Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. High-caliber, teeming with typical life scenes, this is an essential place to visit. Major cultural symbol. Not to be missed!
My suggestion:
The atmosphere is different during the daytime and in the evening. Favour an evening visit, when the pagoda is all lit up and the locals converge there.
Summary:
Not to be missed under any circumstances. A trip to Burma invariably means pagodas and temples galore. During my stay in Burma, I found non as attractive as the Shwedagon Pagoda.
Standing a little over 96 yards high, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a must for several reasons. For one, dominating the horizon from the top of its hill as it does, it is breathtakingly beautiful. It's a meeting place in Yangon. Locals flock there and begin their mindful walk around the central stupa, all facing the same direction, making for quite a peculiar atmosphere. They take turns hitting the gongs, stop walking in order to pray, then resume their place in the circle. You will see everyday scenes of life, so simple yet so typical of this captivating culture. You will leave with an album of beautiful pictures in your mind. Come evening time, when the stupa is lit and the central esplanade fills up with people, its charm is increased tenfold. Leave the circle, sit down and you will see that silence comes to you naturally.
Guides are available at the entrance, and I would advise you to take one, as this place holds many tales.
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Michaël Mamane
70 travellers' photos
