Golden rock Gives Hope

As more tourists flood a popular religious site in Mon State, locals hope for a brighter future

By SAW YAn nAinG

Mon State—A fourhour drive south from Myanmar’s commercial center of Yangon leads to Kyaikto Township in Mon State, home of the famous Golden Rock.

Celebrated for its mysterious history and beautiful scenery, Kyaiktiyo is not only a destination for Buddhist pilgrims but also for tourists of many faiths from Europe and all over the world. As Myanmar opens up, local residents say visitor numbers have skyrocketed since the start of last year.

At least 1,500 people, including about 200 foreigners, are arriving at the site daily, said Ko Zaw Myo Oo, a shopkeeper in Kin Mone camp at the bottom of the hill where Kyaiktiyo is located. Before 2012, he said only 300 to 400 visitors came by every day.

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site and the iconic Golden Rock is a popular attraction for tourists. The small chedi was built on top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaf by male devotees. Women are not allowed to perform this act of reverence but can still view the temple.

Mya Maung, an aging caretaker who looks after the pagoda, said that every time a woman entered the restricted area intending to touch the rock, the sky became cloudy and heavy rain followed. Therefore, female visitors were not allowed to go within four meters of the shrine.

Mya Maung said that according to legend, the Golden Rock did not touch the ground when the pagoda was built.

Some visitors brave the three-hour climb up to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda on foot, while others take the one-hour bus journey instead. The elderly or infirm can be carried on stretchers by porters who charge about 20,000 kyats (US $25) per trip. Donations are collected along the road.

Around the site are shops selling traditional handmade clothes and other handicrafts. There are also local restaurants, teashops, guest houses, hotels and sightseeing binoculars nearby. Worshippers light candles or meditate with offerings of food presented to the Buddha throughout the night.

“I think [Kyaiktiyo Pagoda] is very beautiful, interesting and impressive,” said Sabine, a German tourist making her second trip to the area after first visiting 10 years ago, adding that she had not seen such an amazing pagoda in any other Buddhist-majority nation.

“It is very impressive to see the Golden Rock, even though I’m a Christian,” said her husband, Karsten. “It’s very special.”

Tourist accommodations are springing up around the area, catering to the glut of new arrivals. Several residents told The Irrawaddy that they were happy Myanmar was opening up and more visitors were coming, allowing them to earn more money than in the past. They said they hoped Kyaiktiyo would be flooded with more people in the future and become one of the country’s best-known tourist attractions.

Despite the region’s undisputed potential, the livelihoods of most ordinary people remain unchanged.

Many survive as street vendors and shopkeepers. Children serve as waiters at restaurants or work as porters. Women still bathe in streams and many live without electricity.

Daw Tin Myint, a street vendor, said she had three children to feed and rarely met her daily needs, earning about 5,000 kyat ($6) per day by selling hats.

“After my husband died, I had to borrow money from other people every month in order to feed my three children. Now I need to pay interest on the loan,” said the 50-year-old.

Ma Pue Pwint Thu, an 11-year-old schoolgirl in Kin Mone Sakar, told The Irrawaddy that she had no idea about the Internet or other modern technology such as iPods and iPads.

“My teacher has never talked about

[the Internet],” she said, adding that her school owned one computer but she did not have a chance to use it.

Similarly, a motorbike taxi driver said he welcomed the government’s reforms but added that different authorities controlled business so there was still a long way to go.

“Ordinary people like me do not expect much from the reform,” he said. “But perhaps the next generation might see the benefits.”