✨ Shwemawdaw Pagoda
Myanmar
About This Sacred Site
Shwemawdaw Pagoda in Bago is the tallest pagoda in Myanmar at 114 meters, even surpassing the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. It enshrines two sacred hair relics of the Buddha and a tooth relic, making it one of the most venerated Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Originally built to a height of just 23 meters during the Mon era, successive kings enlarged it over the centuries. The pagoda has been destroyed by earthquakes several times throughout its history and was last rebuilt in 1954 after the devastating 1930 earthquake shattered its upper portion.
Key Facts
- •At 114 meters, it is the tallest pagoda in Myanmar
- •Enshrines two hair relics and one tooth relic of the Buddha
- •Originally built over 1,000 years ago by the Mon people
- •Destroyed and rebuilt multiple times after earthquakes, most recently in 1954
- •The remains of the earthquake-toppled spire are preserved in the pagoda compound
Location
Coordinates: 17.3364, 96.4750
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