Kyaikhtiyoe Pagoda (The Golden Rock Pagoda)
Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda was built on the Kyaikhtiyoe Hill. It is perches one the edge of Paunglaung Mountain Range, part of the Eastern
Yoma, in Kyaikhto Township, Mon state. It is about 3,600 feet above sea level. On Kyaikhtiyoe Hill, there is a huge and steep rock. A big boulder the circumference of which is about 50 feet, rests on the edge of the rock. At a glance, it seems that the boulder will fall of a slight push. This boulder is in the shape of a human head. (The hermit’s head who
transferred the Buddha’s hair relic from his headgear to the Kyaikhtiyoe Pagoda). The Kyaikhtiyoe small pagoda 15 feet high was built on the top of that boulder. By using a piece of bamboo strip as a level, with a piece of thread tied to one end and placed under the rock you can pass the thread from one side to the other side of the boulder wihich goes to show that the boulder supporting Kyaikhtoyoe Pagoda does not touch the rock below it.
Kyaikhtiyoe is 160 km away from Yangon Kinpon Sakhan is the base camp of the foot of Kyaikhtiyoe hill. It has an only car trip to reach Kinpon camp. There are two ways to reach the top of the hill.
(1) From there the pilgrims can climb uphill about 7½ miles on foot. They will pass 27 camps to reach the top of the hill.
(2) A motor road has been built to Yathetaung (Hermit Hill). It is a forty minutes drive from Kinpon Camp to
Yathetaung (Hermit Hill). Then go on foot for seven furlong about 45 minutes to reach the Kyaikhtiyoe Pagoda platform and all the tiredness disappears as soon as reach at the platform. From there one can have a panoorami view of the valley of Sittaung River, green forest as well as mountain ranges and pagodas. The pagoda platform is always thronged with local pilgrims and the foreign tourist. Kyaiktho Hotel, guest house, restaurants and souvenir shops are all there on the hill top for the convenience of visitors.
