Rising in a blaze of gold above Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar and one of the most dazzling religious monuments on earth. From almost anywhere in the city its gilded stupa is visible, catching the light at dawn and glowing like a lantern at dusk, while pilgrims circle its marble terrace in an unbroken current of devotion.
For the people of Myanmar the Shwedagon is far more than a landmark. It is a living center of worship, its platform crowded day and night with families, monks and merit-makers who come to bow, pray and pour water over the small Buddha images that mark the days of the week.