![]() The hermit in turn presented the hair to the king, who (with supernatural powers inherited from his alchemist father and dragon princess mother) promptly sought out a huge boulder from the bottom of the sea and placed it on top of the hair, in its current position 1,100 metres above the surrounding hills. Legend has it that the Buddha, on one of many visits to the area, gave a strand of his hair to the hermit Taik Tha. What little information does exist is shrouded in legend, and it is virtually impossible to separate fact from myth. Not much is known about the history of the Golden Rock – which has stood in its precarious position for as long as records exist. The boulder itself is approximately 7.6 metres (25 ft) tall and 15 metres (50 ft) in circumference, and sits on top of Kyaiktiyo Hill at 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) above sea level. Who built it?Īgain, nobody truly knows – but according to legend the rock was positioned and the pagoda built by an ancient Burmese king with the help of Thagyamin, the king of the nats. Nobody knows how long the Golden Rock has stood on its ledge, but legend has it that it was placed there during the time of the Buddha. What?Ī vast, gold-covered, pagoda-crowned, granite boulder balancing on the edge of a cliff. ![]() The Golden Rock is located in southern Burma, close to the border between Mon State and Bago State (at the top of the thin strip of country that extends southwards along the Thailand’s western edge). More recently, pilgrims have been joined by a growing number of tourists, who come to appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and stunning views – especially at sunrise and sunset, when chanting fills the air and the rock glows with the reflected colours of the changing sky. Given its extreme location, it’s not hard to understand how the Golden Rock has become one of Burma’s most sacred pilgrimage sites – coated in gold by thousands of devotees who come from miles around to pay their respects. ![]() Balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff, with just a tiny footprint actually touching the rock, this huge 7.6-metre boulder appears perpetually on the point of rolling off its perch and into the valley below. ![]() Located in the Eastern Yoma Mountains at the point where Mon State meets Bago State, the Golden Rock is almost unbelievable. ![]()
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