Since ancient times natural resources have been useful for the benefit of mankind, and have been extracted using heavy machines or traditional methods. In upper Myanmar, along Ayeyawaddy and Chindwin rivers, you can find gold from small stones, dirt and gravel from the waters. Locals of Thabeikkyin Township in Mandalay Division engage in panning gold in nearby creeks using traditional ways and means.

They pan gold with the help of a pan shaped smooth grained wood. Gold powder remains in the pan after the panning process. When they obtain gold the size a nice seed, they collect this gold powder in a bottle. A platform is made at the top of a ladder, which is 1 foot long, and 3 feet wide on which a sieve is set for sieving the gold. After pouring a mixture of the sand and stones gathered from the nearby creek water is then poured to sieve the gold. After this process, gold powder remains on the sieve. Thus the sieving process is practiced again in this way.

Other minerals are also included in the sieved gold powder. Only after purifying them the gold can be sold. As most of this region is blessed with gold, one of nature's precious resources, the locals earn their living with panning gold. And as they practiced the traditional method of panning for gold, it does not harm the natural environment.

Although farming is the main career for local people of Thabeikkyin, they earn their income partly from panning gold in nearby creeks.