Kyaikhtiyoe Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock, is located in Mon State, 190 km southeast of Yangon. It is a small pagoda built on summit of the huge granite rock which is covered with gold leaves by devotees. Its name, Kyaikhtiyoe, comes from the Mon Language and means “pagoda on the hermit’s head.” It is one of three most important pilgrimage sites in Myanmar along with Shwedagone pagoda, Mahamuni image. Inside the pagoda, Buddha’s hair relic was enshrined. Many tourists around the world and many devotees all over the country are coming the whole year. It is also one of the World’s Wonders because of its strange and wonderful existence. The rock seems to defy the gravity as it is balanced on knife edge of the mountain top without rolling down the hill, situating at an altitude of 3615 feet.
Legendry
According to the legendry, Buddha gave his hair to the hermit ‘Teik Tha’ on his visit. And, in turn, the hermit gave it to the King of Mon again and asked to build a pagoda in shape of hermit’s head, enshrining the hair inside. So, the King found the huge stone in the shape of hermit’s head at the bottom of the sea. The King has the power inherited from his father Zawgyi (a proficient alchemist) and his mother, a dragon princess. With the help of Thagyamin, the king of Thawadeinthar Heaven, the rock was moved to the summit of the mountain. The boat which transported the rock turned into the rock. Then, built the pagoda in the sixth century and the hair relics were enshrined. According to the history, King Bayintnaung who founded the Second Myanmar Emperor came to pay homage in AD 1556.
How to Access
Golden Rock is easily accessible by car. It takes about five hours from Yangon to get to the base camps. You need to take a truck from the base camps. The first one is Kim Pun sub-camp and next one is Ya-The-Taung sub-camp. Then, to the top of the mountain. For more options, you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain from Ya-The-Taung. By taking cable cars, you can save some minutes and also enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Scenery
When you are at the top of the mountain, you can see the beautiful panoramic view of the green scenery. At the pagoda platform, you can feel the cool breeze and take the fresh breath. Moreover, the spectacular morning view is pleasant and, you can also see the stunning sunset there. So, visit Kyaikhtiyoe Nature Reserve and Golden Rock pagoda and create the treasured moments in Myanmar.