Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tains cascading intothedistance -particularly beautiful duringsunset.You'llbeable towalk
around the whole lake in half an hour; the road circling it is small and relatively traffic-free.
Lastly, looking out over the lake from the east is the town's old
colonialquarter
, where sev-
eral buildings still stand proud; best is the
Colony House
on Mine Yen Road.
Wat Zom Khum
On hill between Mong Yang Rd and Airport Rd • Daily 4am-8pm • Free
Peeking down on Kengtung from a lofty vantage point atop a small hill,
Wat Zom Khum
-
also known as Wat Jong Kham - is by far the most appealing of the town's many, many reli-
gioussites.Aswithmostoftheothers,the“Wat”initsnamereflectsKengtung'sproximityto
Thailand. It's certainly worth the walk up, for there are delightful views both inside and out.
The interior has stencilled gold markings on a burgundy background (making it somewhat
Vietnamese in feel) and a panoply of golden statues, no two of which are identical. From the
pavilion to the rear of the complex, you can see the lake, the
standing Buddha
statue and the
mountains muscling away beyond.
West of the centre
Thereareafewsightslocatedinasmallhuddlejustwestofthetowncentre.Fromthemarket
or lake, track down the busy Main Road and make the steep plod west. Once over the ridge,
you'll see the
Immaculate Heart Cathedral
on your right; this has been educating and oth-
erwise assisting local orphans since the days of empire. Accessible from the rear gate of the
complex, and visible from all over town, is a
Standing Buddha
statue some 18m in height.
Finally, near its foot is the local
Cultural Museum
.
Cultural Museum
Off Main Rd, near foot of Buddha statue • In theory Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, though you may have to hunt down
the keyholder • K2000
Kengtung's small
Cultural Museum
isn't really worth the modest entrance fee: it merely
portrays, rather than explains, what goes on in the hills and mountains surrounding the town,
and it's often locked in any case. If lucky enough to find the keyholder, you'll find costumes
from all of the main minority peoples hereabouts, as well as an assortment of beads, neck-
laces and farming equipment.
