Yangon: Shwedagon Pagoda

Presiding over Yangon, like a gleaming golden talisman, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the country’s holiest Buddhist site (eight strands of hair of the historical Buddha are said to be enshrined here). Made of solid gold, the cupola is breathtaking as are the many shrines surrounding this massive hilltop site. Shwedagon also has an impressive history in recent Myanmar politics: it served as the backdrop of Aung San Suu Kyi’s first major political speech in 1988, the summer that countrywide demonstrations for democracy were violently cut down. It was also here that the so-called Saffron Revolution started in 2007 when hundreds of monks gathered here to protest against the regime. It is a deeply moving, powerful place and should not be missed by anyone visiting Myanmar.