Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon, Myanmar

According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda has existed for more than 2,600 years, making it the oldest historical pagoda in Myanmar and the world. According to tradition, two merchant brothers, Taphussa and Bhallika, from the land of Ramanya, met the Lord Gautama Buddha during his lifetime and received eight of the Buddha's hairs in 588 BC. The brothers traveled back to their homeland in Myanmar and, with the help of the local ruler, King Okkalapa of Burma, found Singuttara Hill, where relics of other Buddhas preceding Gautama Buddha had been enshrined.

Visiting Shwedagon Pagoda is a must for anyone who comes to Yangon, especially if he/she is a Buddhist. The temple closed at 9.30pm (entrance fee 8 USD).