Shan State
Southern Shan
State
Inle Lake
 Inle
Lake is the jewel of the Shan State, famous for its unique one-leg
rowers, floating villages and colorful market. Inlay silk woven by hand
looms. The enchanting lake on the Shan plateau is located about 30 km
to the south of Taunggyi, sheltered by 1500 m high mountains ad
covering 145 km. The lake itself is situated at 900 m above sea level.
Accessible by raod or rail. It is about 15 hours drive from Yangon
across the countryside.
Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda & its images
 Phaungdaw
Oo Pagoda is in Namhu Village, Innlay, Nyaungshwe, and southern Shan
State. The story has it that King Alaungsithu once came near the foot
of Zabu Thabyi tree while on tour in the country. At that time an
ogress looking on from the bank with a child in the river. The king
struck the water with his Yamahta cane whereupon the nat of the water
saved the child and placed it before the king. The mother ogress was so
 relieved
that she cut off a portion of the genuine Tharetkan tree with its
fragrance and presented it to the king. The king of nats made five
Buddha images with the Tharetkan, one with noble alloy Myitzu and two
Shinbyu-Shinhla images, totaling eight, and presented them to the king.
In Sakarit 721, people observed radiation form the four images in
Thanhtaung Ward and so they dug up to find them and convey them to
Shwe-intain Pagoda in Nyaungshwe, to come together with noble alloy
Myitzu image. In Sakarit 1251, the images were conveyed to the
permanent pagoda built in Namhu Village. They have been the since then.
Kakku Relic Myat Kyaw Pagoda
 It lies in Relic Village, Kakku Village-tract, Taunggyi Township,
Taunggyi District, and Shan State. The place was a border post and it
was so
 called Kakku Pagoda. It was also said that the Pagoda was as
named as it as dedicated to Kakkusana Buddha the first of its Buddha
World, although it contained relics of Gautama Buddha. The cluster has
two large pagodas flanked by a diverse array of 2548 smaller pagodas.
It is a sight unseen anywhere in Myanmar. You can go there by boat
about hours from Inle Lake.
^^
Top
Taunggyi
Taunggyi, over 1430 metres above sea-level, is the capital of Shan
State. It is a hill station, cool and pleasant all the year round. The
market on each fifth day is crowded with ethnic minorities in their
traditional dresses. The journey from Taunggyi down to Inle Lake area
takes about an hour. Beside road entries from Yangon, Mandalay and
Bagan into Taunggyi, visitors from Yangon can catch a one hour flight
into Heho Airport and travel 40km by road into there. The market, on
very fifth day, is crowded with ethnic the journey from Taunggyi down
to Inlay lake area takes about an hour.
Nyaung Shwe
Nyaungshwe is a small town at the north end of Inle Lake. It is
here that one can take a walk to nearby villages and countryside's and
find the ruins of the old monasteries. This is also the starting point
of the trip onto the Inle Lake.
Kaung Daing
Kaung Daing is the native village on the northwestern shore of the
lake. It is known for its production of soybean cakes and noodles.
There are some interesting Shan temples just outside the village. A
little north of Khaung Daing is a hot spring where you can take a bath.
Pindaya
 Vistitors
to Myanmar often visit the hill resort town of Taunggyi and Kalaw and
the beautiful Inle Lake nearby; all located in the southern part of the
Shan State. They some-times miss seeing another picturesque town in the
same region famous for its ancient caves, a tranquil lake with an
avenue of some of the biggest banyan trees, whose massive spreading
branches provide cool, shady places for picnics. Pindaya is only about
28 miles (45 km) by car from Kalaw which can be reached by the railway
which goes on to Shwe Nyaung, the terminus for Naung Shwe and the Inle
Lake. Alternatively, Pindaya can be reached by car from Heho airport,
the journey taking only about two hours. About 45 minutes drive from
Kalaw, the road from Kalaw to Pindaya is a breathtaking beauty of the
region. Pindaya is 3,880 feet above the sea level, and is situated at
the foot of a western ridge of mountains over 5,000 feet high. The road
from Kalaw or
 Taunggyi
to Pindaya goes t hrough the little town of Aung Ban, famous for its
sweet tangerine groves. This scenic rode between Aung Ban and Pindaya
is one of the loveliest in the Shan State passing through enchanting
villages like Pwe Hla where over two thousand Shan, Pa-o and Danu hill
tribes' people live. You can see fields of red-coloured earth where
patatoes and cabbages are grown and sent by trucks to all over Myanmar.
There are
 also fields of dry cultivated mountain rice, tangerine orange
groves, avocado orchards and other vegetables and fruits all along this
fertile area. Pindaya Township covers about 85 square miles, with a
population of over 20,000 hill tribe people. The majority of the
population is Taung-yoe, but there are also Danu, Taung-thu, Shan,
Palaung, Bama and Intha people. The people are very likeable and
friendly and are sure to give visitors a warm welcome. Visitors
approaching Pindaya by road will se a welcome concrete sign-post with a
huge black spider in the centre of its web towering above. This buge
spider is connected with the legendary history of Pindaya.
 Legend says that the name Pindaya comes from "Pinku" (Spider) and
"Ya" (get). Both the picturesque lake "Pone Ta Loke" and the limestone
cave "Shwe U Min" play a part in the legend. Thousands of years ago,
seven princesses were so absorbed with playing at Pindaya lake. They
soon realized that it was too dark to go back. They looked around and
decided to stay overnight, in the harmless looking Pindaya cave. But at
mid-night, a huge spider sealed the cave's entrance with its web. The
next morning, the princesses discovered that were locked in. A passing
prince heard their cries for help and he comes to rescue them. When he
finally killed the huge spider, he exclaimed "Pinku Ya-Pyi" means "I've
got the spider". From that time on, the place come to be known as
"Pinku Ya". Later on, it corrupted to Pintara, and then to "Pindaya".
It is all about how the name of "Pindaya" gets into being. The name
Pindaya according to the legend comes from Pingu (meaning spider in
Myanmar) and ya (meaning get). Scholars say that actually Pin in Shan
means "a wide plain". Pindaya is located on a plain, actually a
plateau; with abound ant water from the Zawgyi River and also from
smaller streams and lakes. This has enabled the local people to
cultivate the land extensively.
^^
Top
Pindaya Shwe-U-Min Pagoda (Pindaya Cave)
 The
ancient caves are about one mile southwest of the town, and can be
reached by taking a horse-cart, or motoring there by jeep or just
walking along on foot. Except for the young and energetic, the best way
is to go leisurely be horse-cart to the foot of the hills, reserving
your energy for the 200 steps up the covered stairway leading to the
cave entrance and for exploring the huge meandering maze made up of
numerous caves. The caves are supposed to be 200,00 million years old
and since ancient times they have been places of worship and veneration
with 8,094 Buddha images made from various materials like teak wood,
marble, alabaster, brick, cement
 and
lacquer, and all enshrined in the nooks and corners of the winding
caverns. At the entrance to the main cave thee is a pagoda 50 feet in
height. This pagoda is called Shwe U-min Hpaya or the Golden Cave
pagoda. The tazaung or prayer hall was built by the famous hermit U
Khanti who also built many of the religious edifices on Mandalay Hill.
The entire length of the cave is 490 feet. The numerous stalactites and
stalagmites in these limestone caves, from fanciful shapes and have
given rise to such names as the "Fairy Princess Loom", "Posts for tying
horses and elephants" and so on. Some of the smaller caves used
meditation chambers are accessible only if you crawl in on your knees
and elbows. Visitors should plan to stay for one or two nights in
Pindaya to explore the natural beauties all around; the tranquil lake,
the limestone caves, the ancient pagodas and images and the lovely old
trees.
Kalaw
 Kalaw
stands high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau. It is 70 km west
of Taung Gyi, about halfway along the Thazi-Taung Gyi road. It takes
hours drive from Yangon across the countrysides. Visitors from Yangon
can catch a one hour flight into Heho Airport and travel km by road
into there. The flights have daily flight to Heho from Yangon. This was
a popular hill station in the British days and it is still a peaceful
and quiet place. At an altitude of 1320 m it is also pleasantly cool
and a good place for hiking amid gnarled pines, bamboo groves and
rugged mountain scenery. You can make interesting excursions around
Kalaw. The population is a mix of Shan, Indian Muslims, Bamars and
Nepal is (Gurkhas retired from British military service), many of whom
are missionary educated. Places of interest are Thein Taung Pagoda,
Aung Chan Tha Pagoda, Su Taung Pyae Pagoda and the King Church.
^^
Top
|
