The dome of the Pagoda is 98 meters high and is entirely covered with gold leaf.
The legends want the Pagoda to have originally been built as a simple shrine to preserve 8 hair of the Buddha.
The legends turn into real history during the period of Bagan, the history of the Pagoda is in fact registered from 1485 in a inscription on the East stairway.
Between the XI and XV century various Kings and Queens have contributed to the construction of the site. Queen Shinsawbu offered the equivalent of her weight in gold for the covering of the dome, while King Dhammazedi offered in gold 4 times the equivalent of his weight and that of his wife.
It was King Dhammazedi that ordered the historical incription on the East stairway.