The city is an amalgamation of British, Burmese, Chinese and Indian influences, and is known for its colonial architecture, which although decaying and beyond appreciation, remains an almost unique
The Shwedagon Pagoda
The Shwedagon Pagoda , officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw and also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. The 99-metre-tall (325 ft) pagoda is situated on Singuttara Hill, to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, and dominates the Yangon skyline.
Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama.[citation needed]
The Sule Pagoda
The Sule Pagoda is a Burmese stupa located in the heart of downtown Yangon, occupying the centre of the city and an important space in contemporary Burmese politics, ideology and geography. According to legend, it was built before the Shwedagon Pagoda during the time of the Buddha, making it more than 2,500 years old. Burmese legend states that the site for the Shwedagon Pagoda was asked to be revealed from an old nat who resided at the place where the Sule Pagoda now stands.
The Sule Pagoda has been the focal point of both Yangon and Burmese politics. It has served as a rallying point in both the 1988 uprisings and 2007 Saffron Revolution.
The Chinatown of Yangon
The Chinatown of Yangon or so called Tayoke Tan lies west of the Sule Pagoda which is located in the centre of Downtown Yangon.
Proceeding west along the Sule Pagoda Road, the 24th, 23rd, 22nd, 20th, 19th and 18th Streets and Bo Ywe, Latha and Sint Oh Dan Roads steaming with traffic are the busiest quarters of the city as it is in Chinatowns in other parts of the world. Theses roads fall under the Latha Township.
Chaukhtatgyi Buddha
Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple is the most well-known Buddhist temple in Bahan Township, Yangon, Yangon Region, Myanmar. It houses one of the most revered reclining Buddha images in the country. The Buddha image is 66 metres (217 ft) long, and one of the largest in Burma.
The construction was sponsored by a wealthy Burmese Buddhist, Sir Po Tha, in 1899. The image was completed in 1907 by another construction company, but was not proportioned correctly, and the Buddha's face had an aggressive expression.
In the 1950s, the old Buddha image was demolished and temple trustees began work to replace the image, under the supervision of U Thaung, a master craftsman from Tavoy (now Dawei). Large glass eyes with dimensions of 1.77 by .58 metres (5 ft 10 in × 1 ft 11 in) were custom-created at Naga Glass Factory. The Buddha image was consecrated in 1973.
