Shwedagon Pagoda receives record number
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The number of tourists visiting the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda was higher last year than in any previous year, according to statistics released by the pagoda's board of trustees.
As many as 400,852 tourists visited Yangon’s famous landmark in 2013, compared to 271,000 visitors in the year before.
“The number of tourist arrivals increased last year. I think the number of foreign tourists will equal the number of local visitors in the near future,” Win Kyaing, head of the board of trustees, said.
The number of French tourist arrivals has risen last year, while the number of Chinese tourist arrivals dropped in comparison to previous years.
The pagoda’s board of trustees has collected more than US$204,000 (Bt6.7 million) and more than a million kyat in foreign currencies as donations from tourists since 2008.
Visitors from more than 50 countries visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, which receives over 1,000 visitors daily.
