Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda
No one knows exactly when the Shwedagon Paya [wiki] (or Pagoda) in Myanmar was built - legend has it that it is 2,500 years old though archaeologists estimate that it was built between the 6th and 10th century.

Now, when people say "golden temple" they usually mean that the structure is golden in color. But when it comes to the Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold! In the 15th century, a queen of the Mon people donated her weight in gold to the temple. This tradition continues until today, where pilgrims often save for years to buy small packets of gold leafs to stick to the temple walls.

As if all that gold wasn't enough, the spire of the stupa or dome is covered with over 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies (there's even a 76 carat diamond at the very tip!). And oh, the temple housed one of the holiest relics in Buddhism: eight strands of Buddha's hair.


Shwedagon Pagoda and its golden stupa. Image: Dust Mason [Flickr]


Shwedagon Pagoda at night. Image: M.Bob [Flickr]