The Shwedagon Pagoda, when first seen shining over the treetops of Yangon, inspires wonder and awe, but it is only when visitors reach the high platform that its full magnificence can be seen. The four long stairways (one at each cardinal compass point) leading up to the platform are like bazaars, lined with shops selling religious paraphernalia, antiques, crafts, books and piles of fresh flowers, Beyond the vendors’ stalls are balustrades in the shape of crocodiles intertwined with demons and celestial figures, suggesting that the holy Sanguttara Hill that the pagoda was built on is protected by supernatural beings.

At the top of the stairs, visitors step onto the marble-floored platform and into the dazzling glow of the golden spire of Shwedagon, which rises 326 feet into the sky. It is surrounded by smaller pagodas and pavilions enshrining hundreds of Buddha images. At night the crisp, cool breeze carries the tinkle of the hundreds of small gold bells attached high on the ‘umbrella’ of the main spire. Bigger cast-bronze bells are hung from frames around the platform for devotees to first call attention to the Guardian Spirit of the Earth and then to strike the bells three times, so that all who hear will share their merit.