Well before the first buildings, a point of gold appears above the plain: the stupa of the Shwedagon, visible from the river kilometres away. The journey upriver to Rangoon, today's Yangon, ranks among the most beautiful approaches in Asia: about three hours of meanders between rice paddies, palm trees and country pagodas before the city reveals itself. Large ships dock at the Thilawa terminal, downstream, about an hour's drive from the centre; smaller vessels and river boats sometimes slip all the way to the jetties of old Rangoon, facing the colonial façades. In any case, it is best to plan your day carefully: traffic is heavy and distances are deceptive.

The Shwedagon, the golden heart of the country

Everything converges on it. Set on a hill north of the centre, the Shwedagon raises its golden stupa surrounded by a forest of shrines, spires and marble Buddhas. You enter barefoot, shoulders and knees covered, by long covered staircases lined with stalls selling flowers and gold leaf. On the marble platform, families in festive clothes, monks and novices move among the faithful who pour water over the statue of their day of birth. At the end of the day, when the sun sets the gold ablaze and prayers rise, the place reaches an intensity few religious sites can match. Allow at least an hour on site, more if a guide explains its legends and symbols in detail.

The colonial grid

By the river, the downtown core lines up one of the largest ensembles of colonial architecture in Southeast Asia. Around Sule Pagoda, a golden stupa some forty metres high set in the middle of a traffic circle, stretch grid streets where faded colonnades, century-old banks and ornate balconies tell of the former prosperity of the rice port. Pansodan Street leads to the Strand, a carefully restored Edwardian-era hotel where tea in the lobby is worth the detour. Near the quays, Botataung Pagoda houses revered relics in a gilded ambulatory, steps from the crowded ferries speeding toward the Dala shore. A walk of about thirty minutes is enough to link these points, stopping at the second-hand book stalls for which the area is known.

Markets and flavours

For shopping, Bogyoke Aung San Market, the former Scott Market, gathers beneath its halls entire aisles of lacquerware, woven longyis, puppets and goldwork; precious stones, a Burmese specialty, should only be bought in licensed shops so they can leave the country. At lunchtime, a bowl of mohinga, the national fish and vermicelli soup, or a fermented tea leaf salad offer a tasty introduction. Teahouses, a local institution, serve as an ideal vantage point on neighbourhood life: the tea arrives sweet and strong, accompanied by fritters, and conversations flow freely around the low stools.

Port of call at a glance

One last look

At departure, many passengers head to the upper deck to follow the descent of the river in the evening light, when the golden stupa lights up one last time above the city. Burmese calls remain dependent on the itineraries offered by the cruise lines; when this one is on the program, it leaves a deep impression, through the peaceful fervour of its shrines as much as through the dignity of its old streets. Rangoon cannot be told: it must be contemplated, barefoot on warm marble, amid the scent of incense and jasmine.