Shwedagon Pagoda

　　    Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda, is a stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. The Shwedagon Pagoda stands 98 meters tall, covered with 72 tons of gold, with a spire adorned by nearly 3,000 carats of gems. Situated atop the sacred hill of Singuttara in the western part of the royal gardens, the pagoda dominates the Yangon skyline. The entire complex is magnificent and dazzling under the sunlight.

　　    The Shwedagon Pagoda is considered Myanmar’s most sacred stupa because it enshrines relics of four Buddhas: the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, the robe of Kassapa, and eight hairs of Gautama Buddha. It is a place of year-round worship. The resplendent Shwedagon Pagoda, along with Indonesia’s Borobudur and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, is hailed as a treasure of Eastern art. It is a world-renowned stupa and a national symbol of Myanmar. Myanmar people call the pagoda “Shwedagon,” where “Shwe” means “gold” and “Dagon” is the ancient name of Yangon. The Myanmar people regard the Shwedagon Pagoda as their pride.