The Shwezigon is the prototype for the classic Burmese stupa and the model for most of the pagodas built after it. Its solid gold bell-shaped dome is covered in gold leaf applied by devoted pilgrims. Begun by Anawrahta and completed by Kyansittha around 1102, it remains one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Myanmar.
The pagoda is surrounded by smaller shrines and a busy market selling religious goods and souvenirs. It's at its most atmospheric in the early morning, when monks and local worshippers arrive before the tour buses.