Visitors' Guide
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Festival in Myanmar
Inlay
 Inlay Lake, the jewel of Shan State, is located about 30
km to the south of Taunggyi. This vast, beautiful and
picturesque Lake, sheltered among the hazy blue
mountains of 1524 metres, stretches 22.4 km long and
10.2 km wide. The lake itself is about 900 metres above
sea-level and studded with floating islands.
Inlay Lake is famous for its unique one-leg rowers,
floating villages and colourful markets. Ywama' the site
of a daily floating "markets" and Inlay-Khaungdaing Spa
are places to visit. Inlay silk is quite popular in
Myanmar and silk weaving and hand-looms can be seen at
Inpaw-Khon village.
The celebrated PhaungDawOo Pagoda is situated in this
lake. Its festival, held once a year in October, is full
of pageantry and ceremonial splendour. There is one
thing very peculiar and different from other countries
i.e. Inlay traditional unique one-leg
rowers races can be seen by visitors during the festival
of the PhaungDawU Pagoda.
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda is situated in Inlay Lake,
one of the most dazzling and magical places in Asia. It
is held on a grand scale for 18 days, usually falls in
October. One of the famous principal shrines in Myanmar,
this pagoda houses five small Buddha images. Once a
year, in end Septearly Oct., there is a pagoda festival
during which the five Buddha images are rowed around the
Inlay Lake in a colourful barge.
Nga Phe Chaung Monastery
Nga Phe Chaung Monastery is located in Inlay Lake, on
the way to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. This is an attractive
wooden monastery built on stilts over the lake at the
end of the 1850s. Aside from its collection of Buddhas
the monastery may be of interest to visit because its
monks have taught a few of the many cats living with
them to jump through hoops. Boat ride to visit and
ancient monastery built on huge pieces of teak wood with
traditional architecture and see the popular jumping
cats leap through the hoops.
Shwe Indein Pagoda
Indein is one of the small villages of Inlay Lake
located on the western bank of the Inle lake. A Buddha
image has enshrined at a whitewashed stupa, which is on
the summit of a hill. Below the stupa around the hill
are cluster of hundreds of ancient stupas most are ruins
overgrown with bushes. The pagoda hill is quiet and
calm. One could feel the pleasant cool breeze with the
sweet rings of the bells hanging at the umbrella of the
stupa. Mesmerizing view from pagoda hill release the
fatigue and refresh everybody who ascend to the peak.
This mysterious place is at the end of the marvellous
Indein creek, which connected with Inlay Lake just after
the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. The creek is narrow with many
twist and turns. Since the both sides are paddy fields
you can see the farmers ploughing and harrowing by water
buffaloes. At the lunch time while groups of farmers
having lunch the water buffaloes enjoy themselves
dipping in the creek. At many places in the creek the
farmers dam up the water by bamboo barriers to irrigate
the paddy fields. Indein water is not only useful for
irrigation also for bathing and washing cloths. It is
compulsory to see Novice
monks, buffalo boys and village girls wash and swim in
the creek.
Inlay’s Surrounding
Taunggyi
Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State in the
eastern part of Myanmar, is known for its scenic beauty
and pleasant climate. It is cool the whole year round
and the area is colourful with lovely flowers, pine
trees and green orchards. Being situated over 1400
metres above sea-level, Taunggyi is ideal for
holiday-makers during the summer.
Taunggyi Museum
It is an ethnographic museum which contains colourful
dress of national groups, their traditional weapons and
utillities in
addition to the dress of the late Shan Sawbwas (Dukes or
Lords). Open from 09:30 to 3:30 p.m except Saturdays and
Sundays.
Kalaw
Kalaw, which lies about 71 km west of Taunggyi, is a
beautiful hill station surrounded by the mountains. It
is a peaceful
summer resort with meandering mountain streams and
fragrant pine woods. There are Palaung villages nearby
and hill tribes
people in their colourful costumes can be seen at Kalaw
market held every five days.
Pindaya 
Pindaya, situated at the foot of the Mene-Taung Range
about 45 km north of Kalaw, is a picturesque place. This
small quiet town is famous for its caves in which
thousands of centuries-old Buddha Images are seated. The
Images are of various sizes, some carved in the face of
rock and some deposited in niches in the walls.The road
from Kalaw to Pindaya (38 km) passes
through a countryside of magnificent scenic beauty.
Kakku Pagoda
One of the Asia's largest and most spectacular
ancient monuments lies deep in the heart of Shan State.
Kakku lies 26 miles south of Taunggyi, sharing borer
with Naung Mon Township in the east. In the west, there
lies a blue and hazy mountain
ranges stretching from north to south and reaching 1300
metres above the sea level.
Kakku Pagoda is one of the oldest and most fascinating
archeological site in Myanmar. The hidden treasures and
of the unusual, magnificent collections of Buddhist
stupa country for years is now unveiled to the publicity
and awaiting curious new comers. Kakku Pagoda,thousands
of pagodas with various shapes, sizes and descriptions
dotted within Kakku Pagoda compound is main attraction.
More than 2000 stupas are packed in ranks covering an
area of approximately a square kilometre and said to
have been built during 16th century. It exists not only
as an outstanding example of traditional art and
architecture but also as a testament to the religious
devotion of one Myanmar's many ethnic, the Pa-O. Kakku
area is covered and scattered by Pa-O villages
especially stretching along on both sides of the main
road from north to south. There are beautiful landscapes
in which pagodas are set and small winding road leading
to pagoda complex allowing a close observation of the
vegetation and cultivation. Visitors will also have a
chance to study the daily life of Pa-O tribal people and
their culture. When your way to visit there.
Kakku is easily reached by road from Taunggyi passing
through the humble villages of Pa-O people and
incredible upland scenery. Pa-O people earn their living
by farming and live peacefully in their villages still
maintaining their traditional culture and devoutness to
Buddhism. The yearly religious festival normally takes
about one week. The climax of this festival usually
falls on full moon of the Tabaung (Mid-March) every
year. It is not just a religious festival but also a
social occasion for all to have fun.
The most interesting time to visit this place is to get
there before dawn of the full moon day of Tabaung where
the Pa-O people in all their finery come gaily bearing
decorated trays of morning food offerings. Kakku Pagoda
festival draws thousands of visitors from all parts of
the Shan State.
Shopping
Colourful and full of life, the markets are
attraction for visitors in search of native life and
souvenirs. Hand-woven Inlay bags and shawls, Shan
jackets, Zinmai longyis and other cotton materials,
hand-made bamboo parasols, earthen pots with beautiful
designs, bamboo hats and wooden sandals are available.
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