Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Phaung Daw Oo Paya
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
(camera/video fee K200/300; daylight hours)
A wide channel leads south from Ywama to
the village of Tha Ley and Phaung Daw Oo Paya, the holiest religious site in southern
Shan State. Enshrined within the huge tiered pagoda are five ancient buddha images that
have been transformed into amorphous blobs by the sheer volume of gold leaf applied by
devotees.
During the annual Phaung Daw Oo festival, the images are paraded around the lake in
an ornate barge shaped like a
hintha
. Local families often bring their children here as part
of the ordination rites for the
sangha
(Buddhist brotherhood) - a fascinating spectacle if
you happen to be there at the right time.
Nampan
VILLAGE
The peaceful village of Nampan is built on stilts over the water. Its main temple,
Alodaw
Pauk Pagoda
, is one of the oldest shrines on the lake, and the whitewashed stupa en-
shrines a fabulous gem-encrusted, Shan-style buddha. Nampan has several small
cheroot
factories
and there are some decent restaurants on the edge of the village.
Floating Gardens
GARDENS
North of Nampan are these famous gardens, where Intha farmers grow flowers, toma-
toes, squash and other fruit and vegetables on long wooden trellises supported on floating
mats of vegetation. In the morning and afternoon, farmers paddle up and down between
the rows tending their crops.
In Phaw Khone
VILLAGE
This tidy village of teak stilt houses is famous for its
weaving workshops
. Buildings
across the village vibrate with the clatter of shuttles and the click-clack of shifting loom
frames, and the workshops are a popular stop on the tourist circuit.
Maing Thauk
VILLAGE
Half of the village of Maing Thauk is set on dry land, while the other half sits on stilts
over the water, linked to the shore by a 450yd wooden bridge. You can continue walking
uphill to a peaceful forest monastery for good views over the lake.
Maing Thauk is accessible by boat and by road - you can cycle there in an hour or so
along a dirt track leading southeast from Nyaungshwe.
Thaung Thut
VILLAGE
