Joanna James
Yangon or Rangoon is the largest city in Myanmar. It was once the capital city of the country, and thus has several amazing places to visit and adore. Heritage, religion, and culture are all here, and these attractions are proof of that.
Located very close to properties such as Pan Pacific Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the most popular religious site in the city. Built over 2600 years ago, this is also the oldest pagoda in the world. Because of the golden colour of this pagoda, people call it 'Golden Pagoda' and 'Great Dagon Pagoda' as well. Shwedagon Pagoda is also one of the most sacred sites in the world because it houses several relics of many Buddhas including Gautama Buddha and Konagama Buddha.
This is the other most important Buddhist pilgrimage site you find in Myanmar. Although visiting this pagoda will require a few hours' drive from the city, that's still worth it. This pagoda is on the slope of Mount Kyaiktiyo and appears as a gold-plated rock teetering on a cliff there. Every traveller gets amazed by how the rock keeps still in this position and the Buddhists believe that a strand of Buddha's hair does this wonderful miracle. This is such a unique temple that one simply mustn't miss during a trip to Yangon.
During your stay at any Yangon hotel, take some time to visit the Bogyoke Aung San Market which is the main marketplace in the city. There are more than 2000 individual shops inside that sell everything ranging from stamps and coins to gems and pearls. This marketplace has been built by the British in 1926 and if you observe the building structure clearly, you'll still be able to see the colonial influence on it.
Overlooking the Shwedagon Pagoda is the amazing Kandawgyi Lake which is a man-made creation. This lake has also been built by the British to support providing clean water to the city. It has been very popular among the tourists because it's been there in many Burmese films and commercial advertisements over the years. To provide travellers with adequate entertainment opportunities, they have also built a huge park surrounding the lake. With video gaming machines for kids, restaurants, and many more, one can experience a carnival-like vibe around this scenic lake.
This is where more than 6000 commonwealth soldiers rest in peace after serving and sacrificing their lives in World War II. This is also the largest war cemetery the country has. If you take a look at the memorial on the site, you'll be able to see 27,000 names on it and they all have gone missing while serving in Burma. To know about the dark history of the city, you should go and visit this place at least once and this doesn't require you to pay any entrance fee.
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