Page 69 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

Downtown Yangon Yangon and around 67
The stupa 1
The temple’s highlight is the 39m-high gilded stupa, particularly its hollow interior
(a result of post-war rebuilding – the original stupa was solid). At the centre of the
stupa, a spectacularly embellished shrine contains the Buddha’s hair relic, along with
other items from the excavated chamber; peering through the glass, you can just about
make out an enormous well descending into the depths of the stupa to the right of the
shrine. From the shrine, a corridor zigzags around the inside of the stupa, with walls
and ceilings covered in intricate gilded panels and pious locals wedged into the angles
of the corridor, meditating or praying while facing the hair relic at the stupa’s core.

Around the stupa
The terrace surrounding the stupa is surrounded by a cluster of slightly ramshackle-
looking shrines. Starting at the southeast corner of the courtyard, an elaborate covered
bridge leads over a small rectangular pond to Botataung’s cluster of nat shrines
including an image of the pagoda’s white-turbaned nat guardian, or Bo Bo Gyi (“great
grandfather”), with a shrine to Shin Upagot (see p.386) beside. Continuing clockwise,
halls along the western side of the terrace contain several fine gilded Buddhas plus
accompanying monks and nats, as well as a typical Myanmar-style temple-cum-
fairground attraction, comprising a revolving table with several alms bowls on it, into
which visitors attempt to throw folded-up banknotes.
At the southern edge of the temple complex, a large bronze Buddha dating from 2008
sits on top of a writhing mass of hooded snakes in a pavilion facing the river, with
attractive views over the water.

Bogyoke Market and around
• Bogyoke Aung San Rd • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • Wbogyokemarket.com
Bookending the northern side of downtown Yangon is the city’s principal tourist
honeypot, Bogyoke Market – or Bogyoke Aung San Market, as it’s officially known
– home to Myanmar’s most diverse and foreigner-friendly collection of souvenir shops,
jewellery-wallahs and other consumerist collectibles. Built in 1926, this colonial-era
Burmese bazaar was formerly called Scott Market after the then municipal
commissioner. The market was renamed Bogyoke (“General”) Aung San Market
after the country’s beloved independence leader in 1948 (with “Bogyoke” being
pronounced “Boh-cho”).
The modern market is an attractive and atmospheric place, albeit a million miles
away from the ramshackle chaos of your average Myanmar bazaar, and also hosts the
best collection of craft and souvenir shops (see p.96) under a single roof in the country.
The most upmarket and touristy shops are the streetside places under the arcade
fronting Bogyoke Road, many of them stuffed with huge quantities of Myanmar jade
(including some spectacularly tasteless statues and assorted bric-a-brac aimed at visiting
Chinese) plus considerable quantities of lacquerware, paintings and textiles. The main
alleyway through the centre of the covered market is lined with dozens of jewellers
selling gold, silver, rubies, emeralds and yet more jade, fashioned into bangles,
pendants and necklaces, plus a few touristy souvenir places. Shops get gradually more
downmarket as you move away from the central alleyway.
There’s a handy short cut around the back of Bogyoke Market, where a small
footbridge near the Lotaya restaurant crosses the railway lines – useful if you’re heading
north of the tracks.
East along Bogyoke Road
East of Bogyoke Market, Bogyoke Road is usually busy with pavement hawkers selling
an entertaining medley of stuff ranging from old coins and colonial-era bric-a-brac
through to tropical fruit and Aung San Suu Kyi T-shirts. At the end of the block, you

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