Golden lion statue beast in Swayambhu Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu (Nepal) - stock photo

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex that sits on top of a hill in the Kathmandu valley. The place is also known as "the temple of the monkeys" since there are monkeys, considered sacred, who live in areas of the northwest part of the temple. This Buddhist temple is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The whole enclosure revolves around an immense and gleaming white stupa surmounted by a golden needle where four faces of Buddha are painted. Each of them looks at one of the four cardinal points.