Thanlyin

The pagoda is on an island in the middle of the river. It was built by King Zeyasana, the seventh king of the Pada Dynasty in the third century BCE. The first pagoda was only 3 m high. The only way to get into the pagoda is by the boat. Foreigners are required to sit in a larger boat which differs from the smaller ones that the locals take due to security purposes. A hefty price of 5,000 kyat is required to rent the entire boat. The ride from the mainland to the Island Pagoda is barely a minute. As with nearly all Buddhist monuments, footwear is not permitted. All visitors are told to remove their footwear in the boat and leave their shoes in the boat. However, carry a plastic shopping bag, put your shoes in it, and carry it around with you unless you do not mind being harassed for tips by people guarding your shoes in the boat.