| Inle
& Its Environment |
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Inle
Lake
The prime attraction of Shan State is
Inle Lake, located abut 30km south
of Taunggyi. This vast, picturesque Lake, surrounded by hazy
Blue
Mountains, is 900 meters above sea-level. It is 22km long and
10km wide
with floating islands. Inle Lake is famous for its Inthas (native
Lake-
dwellers) with a unique way of rowing with their legs and a
colourful
floating market.
Inle lake is situated in southem shan
state. It is the second Largest
natural lake in Myanmar. There are 101 villages and 150,000
People, living
around the lake. There have so many romantic attractions for
not only to
tourist but also to the domestic people. |
InLe has many interesting thing of tourist attractions. They are
floating islands, bird-watching, floating market,
leg-
rowing
and spa. The most excitment is leg-rowers
boats racing. Both men and women were participated very happily. The
big boat has 45 rowers and small boat has 25 rowers. The distance
is about 3500 feet. The Phaung-Taw-Oo Pagoda and Inle
lake is an interesting place. So let me insist on you to make
a visit to Phaung-Taw-Oo Pagoda and InLe's one leg-rowing
boat racing. |
Naung Shwe
At
the northern end of the lake is NaungShwe, a small town 27km
from
Taunggyi,
and gate-way to the Inle Lake.
Once the residence of Shan Sawbwa,
local chieftain, it is now a major
station and undergone with the popularity of Inle lake
nearby. But,
Sawbwa Museum,
the ex. Haw of the regional Sawbwa, is a visit
worthwhile. It is of the building composed by the architectural
combination
of Europe, Myanmar tradition and Shan pratice.
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Ywama
The largest village on the Inle
Lake, its streets are a web of canals.
There are some beautiful teak houses built on large wooden
poles driven
into the Lake bed. The main activity and attraction is
at the floating market.
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Phaung-daw
U Pagoda
One of the famous principal shrines
in Myanmar, this pagoda houses
five small Buddha images. Once a year, in end September
or early October,
there is a pagoda festival during which the four Buddha
images are rowed
around the lake in a colorful barge.
This pagoda is a famous Pagoda
in Myanmar. According to the legend,
the Phaung-daw U Pagoda
is the merit of the King Alung-Si-Thu. He ruled
the city of Bagan in 12th century ago. This King's hobby
is touring not only
inland but also to Srilanka and Malaryu by his royal barge.
Arriving on
Malaryu island, the celestial king presented him Bodi
and Tharakhan wood.
The wood was crafted into Buddha images; and put to worship
at the
bow of the royal barge. He made another visit inland and
reached the |
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western
region of the Inle lake. There the king built a stupa and the
images which he worship on the bow of royal barge
were enshrined. On account of this, the images were called
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. During the time AD 721 a local lord
named Si-Saing-Bwa ruled the Inle Lake region. One day
a strange light is reported on the mountain in the western part
of Inle
lake. The lord and entourage followed the light and they
found these five images in cave. The lord brought the images
back
to his palace and worshipped it. Every year in October
a big marquer is set up and images are placed to pay a worship
for
Public. In so many case the images were transfered from
village to village. Finally, to the present place, Nang Hau
village, the
imgaes were shifted. The monastery is two stage building
which is erected in 1952 by the first presedent of Myanmar Sao
Shwe Thaik. The upper floor uses as a pure temple, on
the walls are the pictures depicting the life cicle of Buddha.
There is a
throne in the centre of the big hall. On the throne you
will find five glittering solid gold images. In fact these five
images are the
most sacred Buddha images called Phaung-Daw-Oo Pagoda.
The homage have heaped so much gold leaf that the five images
can hardly be recognized as Buddha. Women are not allowed
to touch the images. |
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Mine Thauk
Market
A
large and bustling market where one can find a real local atmosphere
with a variety of produce from the lake. Other places
of interest in the lake
are Paya Pauk Pagoda, Zakah Village and Nga Phe Monestry.
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Floating
Islands / Floating Market
Most
of the inhabitants around the lake are Intha. The career of
the people on
the lake are (1)agriculture. (2) fishing (3) looming
(4) silver-smith.
The agricultural products are
tomatoes, beans, eauliflower, cabbage, eggplant,
garlic, onions, and bananas. Many of these crops
are eultivated on floating
islands. So, floating island are very important for
agriculture. In this case, you can
see that the lake is covered with floating islands which
is about 1/3 of the lake
area. There are two types of floating islands, natural
and man- made.
Natural floating island is conbined
with vast amount of old and shed plants such as water- hyacinth,
marsh, lake-weeds, grasses, creepers etc., for years.
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And it is cut into required size and move to the place of preference.
Man-made one, the natural heap
of dykes and grasses is put into bamboo-
frame then covered with other creepers and plants
to shape a certain thick and size about 4-5 feet. Sometime later
it is harden
enough and then overlaid and covered with fertile
soil about 1' layer. Finally, people can plough for cutivation
in row of bars
and plots.
Floating island are tied to the
bamboo poles which are stacked to the bottom of the lake so
as not to float away.
Agricultural prodcts and others
are to sell in the floating market on the lake. The five-day
market is alternately hosted at
Khaung-Taing, In-Dein, Taung-To and Nam-Pan. The Last
one Nam-pan is the biggest and crowded. There is only one
parmenant floating market. That is He-Ya-Ywa-Ma which
opens daily and famous for bag, and silver wares.
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