Arriving at the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, thought by some to be 2,500 years old, but archologists believe it to be built between the 6th and 10the centuries AD.

One of the two leogryhs that guard the entrance to the pagoda.

At the entrance.

Dress code notice. No shoes or socks, bare feet only, at this Buddhist pagoda and at all the Buddhist shrines and temples in Myanmar.

We walked inside this walkway.

Part of the complex seen from the walkway.

A view.

This Bodhi tree was here where we came. A bodhi tree is a sacred fig tree. It was under a Bodhi tree in India that Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

A Buddha image on the side of the tree.

Close-up.

A monk praying here. There are about 500,000 monks in Myanmar. The wear dark red robes.

Two nuns praying here. There are 75,000 nuns in Myanmar. They wear pink robes. Also in the photo, a cleaner looking up at the Buddha image.

There were hundreds of Buddha statues and numerous mythological creatures at the pagoda. These appear to be mytholigical creatures.

Close-up. A wizard.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is in the background. In the foreground is one of many pavilions here.

Paintings on the side of the pavilion.

Close-up.

Close-up of the second painting.

Closer-up.

Closer-up.

Closer-up.

A Buddha statue in the pavilion.

From the front.

Many smaller pagodas were also at the complex. They held more Buddha statues.

One of the statues.

Another of the statues.

A small pagoda.

The statue inside it.

The Shwedagon Pagoda with many smaller pagodas circling it. The pagoda was built to enshrine eight hairs of Siddhartha Gautama who lived sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BC and on whose teachings Buddhism was founded and who we know as Buddha.

There are other relics of four previous Buddhas. There is believed to have been 27 Buddhas before Siddhartha Gautama and one to appear in the future on earth: Maitreya.

A mythical beast surrounding the pagoda.

Close-up.

A nun walking by.

Each pagoda circling the big pagoda contains a Buddha statue.

There are also mythical creatures on the sides of them.

The Buddha statue inside.

Mythical creatures.

More mythical creatures.

There are eight planetary posts around the pagoda, one for each day of the week plus an extra one of Wednesday as it is split between a.m. and p.m. The posts correspond to the day you were born. People born a certain day will pour water on the statue and also leave flowers and offerings.

This post is for people born on a Thursday.

Walking around the pagoda. There are more pagodas and shrines across from the giant pagoda.

Young women on their walk.

Two pavilions.

And more pavilions.

This one has a reclining Buddha in it.

Close-up.

And more Buddhas.

And more.

And more.

Still more.

And even more.

More pagodas.

Buddha statue in one of them.

This pavilion contains Buddha's Tooth Relic Replica.

Sign on the pavilion.

Inside the pavilion.

A pretty pagoda.

And more.

Statue inside one of the openings.

Close-up.

Another statue.

A statue on the side.

This is what happens if you don't wear long pants--my tour mate having to wear a longyi to cover his bare legs.

Mythological statues on the side of a pagoda.

More.

Another pavilion.

This one contains a hair relic well.

Inside the pavilion.

A large pagoda in the rear right of the photo.

Closer-up.

It is covered with bas reliefs.

Closer-up.

Another pavilion.

The pavilion.

Inside the pavilion

Close-up.

On its outside.

A monk in prayer.

A family visiting the pagoda.

A family having its photo taken.