A Trip to Inlay Lake

Innlay Lake is situated in the east of Myanmar. The lake is 14 miles long and 7 miles wide. It is virtually surrounded by the Shan mountain ranges. Often, dense clouds hang over the dark blue mountain ranges. At the southern part of the lake, the famous “Phaung Daw Oo” temple is located. The temple serves as the abode of five Buddha images.

Every year ,during mid October ,“Phaung Daw Oo” images are led aboard decorated barges in procession. For witnessing the grandeur of festivities, the trip should have to coincide with the festival.

Innaly culture is unique. People in Innlay Lake move about by boat, and buy and sell goods on the surface of water. Hawkers peddle commodities on board of dug out canoes, and customers too do their shopping by boat. The itinerary should include shopping on water.

Like livelihood, one might notice that the people in Innlay Lake live in houses built above the water.Many massive monasteries can be seen in the lake; few are ancient. The “Nga Phe Chaung” monastery, for instance, was built over a hundred years ago using long teak posts, at the western part of the lake. Some of the Buddha images were weaved with thin bamboo strips. Bamboo-based images are not only light in weight, but also proportionate in shape.

Still more, a jumping cat at the “Nga Phe Chaung” monastery. The monastery has eventually come to be known as the Jumping Cat Monastery.

People living in Inlay Region belong to different ethnic groups: Bamar, Shan, Inn Thar, Pa-Oh, Danu, Taung Yoe, etc. Each group has its own cultural identity and every national race has its own interesting characteristics.

At the south-western part of the lake, there is an ancient temple called “Shwe Inn Tein Kyaung”. The shrine is quite long; the pillars number 403. It is built by King Thiri Dhammar Thawka in 200, Buddhist era.

The decorations on the temple structure reflect the motifs of “Bagan” and Kone Baung’ periods.

At the end of a daylong tour, a spot for one to relax at sun-set is the Shwe Kyan Hmyaw hotel. If one prefers, one could find an Inn Thar style accommodation in houses built above water.It would be impossible for one to ever forget the beautiful night that one might spend at Innlay Lake watching traditional dances performed in the middle of a captivating natural environment.