YANGON (Xinhua): The Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Golden Pagoda in Myanmar, attracted over 4.65 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, U Boe Thin, a member of the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees, told Xinhua on Saturday.
Among them, over 50,000 were foreign visitors, with the most coming from China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he said, and added that the Shwedagon Pagoda is open daily from 4am to 10pm.
The pagoda is also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar.
The Shwedagon 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.
Despite the political issues in the country, it has been a magnetic pull for many international tourists who are attracted to its beautiful landscape.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition.
After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
More than 7,200 people are estimated to have been killed by security forces since then, according to figures compiled by nongovernmental organizations.
The military government has recently stepped up airstrikes against the armed pro-democracy People’s Defense Force. The resistance forces have no effective defense against air attacks.
