Golden Rock & Bago

The Golden Rock topped with pagoda
of Buddha's hair-relic enshrined
 

Golden Rock (Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda): Kyaikhtiyo pagoda, atop a huge gold-plated boulder precariously balanced on the edge of a crag, is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Bago on the railway line to Mawlamyine. It is one of the Myanmar’s most spectacular sites and is also an important Buddhists’ pilgrimage shrine. It is believed by the locals that the fine balance of the boulder is maintained by a hair of the Buddha preserved inside the pagoda. From Bago, it will take about 3 hours in a car to reach to the base camp of Kyaikthiyo mountain range, where visitors will be taken up  two-thirds of the mountain track by pick-up truck (a public transport which would take 30 to 45 minutes drive). At the end of the truck journey, one will need to climb the last part of the 45-minute ascend along a steep and winding path to complete the journey to the Golden Rock. The other option is to be carried on a sedan chair carried by four sure-footed bearers. Witnessing the wonders of Golden Rock, the worship of the pilgrims, enjoying the scenery and watching sunset are the highlights of Kyaikhtiyo.