Que voir à Yangon

The Shwedagon Pagoda or Paya is the single most important religious site in all of Myanmar. The pagoda stands on the top of Singuttara Hill, and, according to legend, that spot has been sacred since the beginning of time, just before our present world was created.…

Four covered walkways lead up to the pagoda from the plains surrounding the hills. The east walkway is the most interesting, crowded as it is with vendors selling items for pilgrims (candles, flowers, gold leaf, stones and other paraphernalia of Burmese Buddhist worship) and souvenirs for domestic (and international) tourists (Buddhas, lacquer ware, and thanaka).…

Displays many Burmese historical artifacts, including regalia of the last Konbaung Dynasty. This museum has one of the quality collections in SE Asia, containing the best of Burma's artistic heritage and superior craftsmanship. Unfortunately it is here. The architecture of the museum is a pathetic, awkward, tacky, and crude interpretation of modern architecture.…

Recently renovated park that makes for a nice stroll. Lots of small restaurants, food stalls and a playgarden inside. The lake is best known for its karaweik (at its southeastern tip), a replica of a traditional Burmese royal boat. There is also a board walk around the south edge of the lake, affording a better view than that from the gardens.…

There are eight shrines, one for each day of the week (in the Burmese calendar, Wednesday is divided into two parts), dotted around the eight corners of the stupa (the stupa is octagonal), and most Burmese pray at their day shrine when visiting a pagoda.…

Known locally as the Singu Min Bell (after King Singu, who donated it to Shwedagon), the Maha Ganda bell was cast between 1775 and 1779 and weighs 23 tonnes. Impressed by the size of the bell, the British attempted to take it as war booty after the First Burmese War (1825), but dropped it into the Yangon River instead.…

The pagoda is actually shaped like a Greek cross. There are four entrances at each of the four cardinal directions flanked by gargantuan sculptures of mythical Burmese lions. These entrances open up to the four walkways as the appendages of the cross ascending to the top via flights of steps.…

Although similar in concept to Mecca's kaaba, surrounded by a vast space, the pagoda platform where people may make rounds of the stupa, exists as a religious space without pomp and circumstance and is one of the best places in the world to sit and people watch. Find a comfortable step, or sit on the floor, and look around. Children run up and down, perhaps singing and shouting with abandon.…

The original pagoda was destroyed by allied bombing during the Second World War but the site has a legendary history as long as that of the Shwedagon or the Sule Paya, and it is supposed to house more strands of the Buddha's hair brought to the site by a thousand soldiers (hence the name which means "1000 officers").…

Left of the north walkway, the Naungdawgyi or Elder pagoda is supposed to mark the spot where the sacred strands of the Buddha's hair were placed and washed before being enshrined in the stupa. (Women are not allowed onto the Elder pagoda platform.) Close by is the Sandawdwin Tazaung (Hair Relics Well) which provided the water for the washing.…

Incongruously serving as a traffic island in the middle of the busiest intersection in central Yangon, Sule Paya is a 46 m octagonal-shaped stupa that, according to the local story, was built 2,000 years ago to house a strand of the Buddha's hair.…

The grave of the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. After the Indian rebellion of 1857, he was exiled to Rangoon together with his wife, Zeenat Mahal, and some of the remaining members of the family. Bahadur Shah died in Nov 1862.…

Contains the tombs of Queen Suphayalat, wife of Burma’s last king; nationalist and writer Thakin Kodaw Hmaing; former UN Secretary-General U Thant; and Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi. In 1983, the structure was bombed by North Korean agents attempting to assassinate the visiting South Korean president. He escaped, but 21 others were killed.…

Occupies 130 acres, between parliament and Shwedagon Paya and known for its large concrete water fountain. Inside the park is a museum. There are a lot of decrepit statues and relics (like ships and aircraft) as well as sterile squares in the Stalinist model, all of which gives an interesting insight to the government.…

This is the house where Aung San lived with his wife and three children until his assassination. The house is still in original condition, with many interesting items on display, e.g., Aung San's car, his library, and his suits. Outside is the pond where his son, Aung San Lin, drowned.…

The largest lake in the city. Some parts of Inya Lake's shoreline are accessible on foot, and are known for their gardens. Along Inya Lake's shore is the famous Inya Lake Hotel, now owned by Dusit and Yangon University (in a beautiful park-like setting). Surrounding the lake are villas owned by military leaders.

The statue of Wa Thon Da Ray, the guardian angel of the earth, is to the left of the south walkway. Wa Thon Da Ray is said to have saved the Buddha from burning by wrapping her wet hair around the earth. The long tresses are clearly visible in the stone statue that stands in her honour.

This is a peninsula that provides good views around the lake and is the access to the Karaweik. There are restaurants (some cheap, some expensive) dotted around the lakefront and an amphitheatre that often has free concerts. Very popular with locals on Friday and Saturday nights.

Home to the descendants of migrants who came from China and India during the colonial era. You can still see reminders of that heritage, with Chinese clan temples, as well as Hindu temples, still to be found in these districts, as well as ethnic foodstuffs.

The cathedral's exterior is newly renovated, but it's still an ugly eyesore outside, but the superior Myanmarese dexterity of carving is shown in the interior's 14 Stations of the Cross. Images literally pop out of the screen in 3D fashion.

A little before the west walkway, was a gift of the Rakhaing people of Arakan. The prayer hall itself is ordinary, but the wood carvings on the roof are exquisite, probably the finest in the pagoda complex.

Known for its rose gardens. Inside the gardens is the Independence Monument, built to signify Myanmar's independence. The garden offers a great view of the City Hall, and colonial buildings.

The house is guarded by a high wall, and visitors are not allowed to enter. The most you can hope to do is to take a picture of the gate. Approximate taxi fares from the city is MYK3,000.

A large expanse of land on which larger-than-life, colourful statues depicting Buddha's lives are located. Mailamu Paya also showcases a pavilion on a man-made lake, and several chedis.

Opened by the British in 1906, containing Myanmar's expansive collection of wild animals. During public holidays, the Snake Dance and Elephant Circus are performed for visitors.

The oldest and most famous hotel in Myanmar, built by the Sarkies brothers in 1901. It is a national landmark and was renovated in the 1990s after years of neglect.

A 1485 tablet that relates the story of the Shwedagon in Pali, Mon, and Burmese. One of the few verifiably antique objects in the pagoda complex.

The Anglican cathedral built by the British. It is one of two cathedrals in Yangon, and has a beautiful interior.

The only synagogue in Yangon. It is a colonial relic, built in 1893. Its interior is beautifully maintained.

A temple that is home to an impressive reclining Buddha that is 65 m long and 6 storeys high.