The respective signs are installed at all the four entrances to the pagoda. For those who do not have proper attire there are longyi and full length dresses for rent. Longyis and htabis are provided for K3000. No deposit is required but it is necessary to return them back to the staff at the exit. A member of the board said that in case longyis are not returned they will be considered lost.
Last year, over 650,000 visitors paid homage to Shwedagon Pagoda, or slightly under 2,000 visitors per day. Out of them, every day about 400 visitors are not dressed properly and use longyi and htabi rental service. Every month, some 20 longyis are not returned to the staff.
Surprisingly, it is not foreign tourists who cause the major touble for the pagoda's management. In many cases it is rich Yangon citizens who complain of strict dress code rules. They refuse to wear longyis or put them on only to pass the gates and take them off immediately they have entered the grounds of the pagoda.
Shwedagon Pagoda is a 326 m high golden stupa located in Yangon. It is considered the most sacred Buddhist stupa in Myanmar and is said to contain relics of four previous Buddhas.
Dress Code for Visiting Shwedagon Pagoda Reinforced
News in Asia
Short trousers and skirts which show knees are banned from Shwedagon Pagoda. All visitors who want to visit the temple must dress appropriately.