YANGON: The Hsandawshin Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Myanmar, welcomed 284,079 local and 10,214 foreign visitors in 2023, according to the pagoda’s treasury board of trustees.
The number of pilgrims varied by month, with the highest being in December, when 64,105 local and 1,284 foreign pilgrims visited the pagoda.
A trustee member said that the festive season of Christmas and New Year, as well as the offering of 9,000 candle lights on Jan 1, 2024, drew many visitors to the region.
The lowest number of pilgrims was in August, when only 1,836 local and 763 foreign pilgrims came to the pagoda. The trustee member attributed this to the rainy season and the Covid-19 pandemic, which discouraged travel and gatherings.
The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is a golden stupa perched on a granite boulder that seems to defy gravity. It is believed to enshrine a hair relic of the Buddha and is one of the most revered sites in Myanmar. - Eleven Media Group/ANN
