The Golden Rock of Kyaiktiyo is one of Myanmar's most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites — a gilded boulder seemingly balanced on the edge of a cliff, topped by a small stupa said to contain a strand of the Buddha's hair. The rock defies gravity and according to legend will never fall. Pilgrims hike or take trucks up the mountain to pay their respects, especially during the cooler months, creating a vivid scene of candlelight and devotion.