Main entrance of Shewdagon Pagoda, guarded by two lions.

Ornate covered stairway leading up to the pagoda.

Beautiful Shwedagon Pagoda with a tree branch from the People’s Park in the foreground.

Side entrance to the walkway leading up to the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Small alters that surround the base of the pagoda. In the evenings Buddhist worshipers light candles and incense here.

Small shrine to one side of the pagoda, ringed by alters containing images of Buddha.

Monk meditating in the small shrine from the previous image. Monks in Myanmar typically spend a large part of their day meditating.

Man paying respects to Buddha by offering drinking water. There are 7 different alters around the main pagoda, one for each day of the week and Buddhist worshipers pray in the alter of the day they were born.

Female volunteers sweep the floor around the pagoda to make the experience more pleasant for the bare-foot visitors. (You always have to remove your shoes before visiting any Buddhist shrine.)