International > The picture of the week > Pagoda of the Golden Rock

Picture of the week (No.2): the Pagoda of the Golden Rock in Myanmar.                Each week, Willgoto selects a nice picture and shows it here. The Pagoda of the Golden Rock is the second picture in this series. It is one of the most sacred buddhist sites in Myanmar and in the world. The Pagoda of the Golden Rock in Myanmar. Devotees paste gold leaves on the sacred rock. Myanmar, formerly called Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia with India, China and Thailand as main neighbouring countries. It is as large as Texas or France (overseas territories included). It is a predominantly agricultural country, whose production of rice is the main economic activity. Its other main resources are oil, gas, teak, gemstones such as ruby, sapphire and jade. Long banned by the international community because of the military junta that ran the country, Myanmar is gradually retrieving a democratic regime. Yangon (formerly Rangoon) is by far the largest city in the country. Myanmar has many and varied tourist attractions: a rich heritage consisting inter alia of the capitals of the successive dynasties that governed the region before the latter became a British colony at the end of the 19th century, some of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world such as the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the Golden Rock, Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay and Sagaing, some natural attractions such as Inle Lake and mount Popa, a few nice sand beaches as in Ngapali, handicrafts such as lacquerware, kalaga, marble sculpture and the production of goldbeating, and especially a very welcoming population composed of several ethnic groups. The Pagoda of the Golden Rock, also known as Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, is a 25 ft (8 m) high boulder precariously perched at the top of a cliff of Mt. Kyaiktiyo, about 3,600 ft (1,100 m) above mean sea level and topped with a stupa of 33 ft (10 m) in height, all being covered with gold leaves. The Pagoda is located approximately 68 mi (110 km) from Bago and 130 mi (210 km) north of Yangon. A strand of the Buddha's hair that has been enshrined in the pagoda makes it a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. The Golden Rock pagoda is also a tourist site not to miss, even if the trip takes usually two days. The magical nature of the site, the amount and the fervor of the pilgrims, and the surrounding landscape are unforgettable. Read more about the Golden Rock Pagoda. See other pictures from Myanmar: Yangon Mandalay Ethnic groups Beaches The author of the photo: all above pictures belong to Willgoto. See all our pictures from Myanmar. See also: Picture of the week 1: Bee hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. It is endemic to Cuba. Picture of the week 3: Seychelles beach. Seychelles is a perfect destination for a dream holiday. Picture of the week 4: Lemur of Madagascar (Coquerel's sifaka), an endangered species of primates, which, like all other species of lemurs, is endemic to Madagascar. Picture of the week 5: World heritage in Cambodia. The temple of Banteay Srei, better known as 'Citadel of the women', in Cambodia is a jewel of Khmer art and a world heritage site. Picture of the week 6: The bull shark and the tiger shark. Both sharks are unfortunately known for fatal attacks on humans. See  all our "Pictures of the week".   Links • Willgoto home • Back to the previous page: click here See also • International > Guide to Willgoto Links in other languages                          (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)