YANGON, MYANMAR The Land of Gold Yangon and its Golden Payas

Yangon and its Golden Payas

Arriving in Myanmar at daytime one must wear sunglasses. Starting with Yangon, the city of gold, one gets blinded by Pagodas, Temples & Palaces glistening in the sun. The Golden Buddha is towering over the city.

The multitude of Golden Pagodas is overwhelming. The local people never stop smiling. Their genuine smiles can be as blinding as the gold of architecture. Myanmar is opening its door to tourism and the locals are most welcoming.

The Shwedagon Paya dates to 600 BC and is a monumental part of Yangon elevated on Sanguttara Hill. It has a diamond orb and numerous images of Buddhas. It is surrounded by a number of smaller payas and occupies 46 hectares of the hill. Shwedagon is a tourist destination, viewed from sunrise to sunset by visitors. The spiritual feel of the pagoda is missing among the stalls selling souvenirs.

However, there is another Pagoda in Yangon. Its location is right on the Ayeyarwaddy River and the riverfront gives it a more serene atmosphere. It is Botataung Paya. It lights up slowly with a sunrise on the river. A walk through the gold-leaf-coated stupa holds one is awe at the grandeur of the place. It also has a spiritual feel with locals preying and offering gifts of flower and fruit to Buddha.

Lake Kandawgyyi, Royal Lake, is the host to the Royal Palace reflecting golden swans in its waters.

 It is safe to say that gold is a national color of Myanmar. There are very few places in the world that can offer golden sights as dense as those spread around Yangon.