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Shan State ▼
SHAN STATE
Capital : TAUNGGYI
Population : Over 4.7 million
Area : 60155 sq.miles
How to get there:
By air, train, car
Places of interest
1. Inlay Lake, sea among the hazy Shan mountains. 900 metres
above sea-level 22km long & 10km across
2. Padalin Cave of the stone age culture.
3. Magnificent Gok-teik Bridge
4. Hsipaw Bawgyo Pagoda
5. Kuckoo Village
6. Kalaw Hill Station
7. Pindaya Cave
Shan State, the largest of any Myanmar's states and
divisions, occupying 601558 square miles, nearly a quarter
of Myanmar's total land mass, is located in the east of the
country, and borders China, Laos and Thailand.
The state's five million inhabitants come from a variety of
ethnic groups. About half are ethnic Shan, but the Palaung,
Kachin, Kaw, Lahu, Kokang, Wa, Padaung, and Taungthu are
numerous.
The capital of the Shan State is Taunggyi, a 100000
person-strong town in the north of the state. Taunggyi is
widely regarded as the source of Myanamar's best cheroots
and there are thriving hse-baw-leiq factories in town.
Probably the best-known destination in the state is Inlay
Lake, a breathtakingly calm body of water ringed by hills
and dotted with fishing boats by the famous leg-rowing
fishermen. Inlay Lake is especially enchanting during the
Phaung Daw U and Thadingyut festivals, held in September and
October.
Trekking to local villages from such starting points as a
Kalaw, a former British hill station, is also a popular
exercise. The Pindaya Caves, with their 8000 images of
Buddha, are accessible from Kalaw as well.
A fabulous base for day trips is Kengtung, in the north. The
town is surrounded by hot springs and small Lahu, Akha, Shan
and Wa villages, as well as Yang Kong, home to a thriving
pottery works.
Photo Gallery
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