A pagoda on a golden boulderSourced
The precarious-looking rock is covered with gold leaf
At Kyaiktiyo in Myanmar, a small pagoda stands on a large boulder perched at a cliff’s edge. Gold leaf gives the rock its golden appearance. A tradition says a hair of the Buddha prevents it from falling; this is a religious legend, rather than a physical explanation.
The visible gold and the story of its balance have different origins.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Kyaiktiyo Pagoda · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10