The golden barge
On the water.
Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · C1815 — CC0 · ReflectedSerendipity — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Francisco Anzola — CC BY 2.0 · Chris H Munro — CC BY-SA 4.0
Kandawgyi Lake is a wide lake in the heart of Yangon, east of Shwedagon Pagoda, and its name means the great royal lake. A green park and a wooden boardwalk over the water surround it, making it one of the calmest places in the city for a walk. On its eastern shore stands Karaweik Hall, a building shaped like a gilded royal barge, with two mythical birds at the bow and a seven-tiered roof above. It was built in concrete between 1972 and 1974 in the style of the old royal barges, and is used today as a restaurant and performance hall. Its name comes from a mythical bird known for its sweet song. You walk the boardwalk between trees and water, with the golden barge reflected on the lake and the golden stupa of Shwedagon above the trees behind. Townspeople sit on the banks in the evening, and the light at sunset is best for photographs. Shwedagon Pagoda is about 2 km away in a straight line, and Sule Pagoda about 2.3 km. The UK Foreign Office does not name Yangon among the areas it warns against, but it calls the situation in Myanmar volatile, so read the current advice before you plan.
On the water.
Among the trees.
Shwedagon behind.
East of Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar
Yes, it is a restaurant and show hall, and dinner may need booking.
Late afternoon until sunset, when it cools.
