Whether it represents royalty , symbolises purity and enlightenment , or signifies personal wealth , gold is the only colour that matters for Asia ’ s greatest stupas , statues , temples , and bazaars .
Asia ’ s Golden Treasures
Whether it represents royalty , symbolises purity and enlightenment , or signifies personal wealth , gold is the only colour that matters for Asia ’ s greatest stupas , statues , temples , and bazaars .
KYAIKTIYO PAGODA , MON STATE , MYANMAR
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Pagodas painted in gold are an Asian speciality , but the pagoda at Myanmar ’ s Golden Rock Temple isn ’ t the main attraction . That honour belongs to the gigantic granite boulder on which the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is perched that sits precariously at the edge of a cliff commanding spectacular views of the Eastern Yoma mountains of Mon State . About 7.5 metres tall and with a circumference of around 15 metres , the Golden Rock , as it ’ s popularly called , is covered in gold leaf that ’ s been pasted on by devotees . Legend has it that a strand of the Buddha ’ s hair keeps the gravity-defying Golden Rock from tumbling down the mountain
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