Sule Pagoda (Sule Paya), Yangon: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Sule Pagoda stands at the center of a traffic roundabout in downtown Yangon, an octagonal stupa believed to be over 2,000 years old, predating even Shwedagon. The pagoda rises 48 meters and retains the same octagonal shape from base to crown, an unusual architectural feature in Burmese temple design. British colonial authorities used the pagoda as the reference point for laying out Yangon's street grid in the 1850s, and it remains the city's geographic and symbolic center. The surrounding streets form a grid of colonial-era buildings, many now in various states of restoration or decay. is just one of many options in Yangon. Major attractions worth considering include Chaukhtatgyi Paya (Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple), Shwedagon Pagoda, and Bago.