Shan State Myanmar

Area : 155795.721 sq-km (60155.227 sq-miles)
Population : 4702000
Capital : Taunggyi
Religion : Buddhism, Christianity, Islam

Myanmar Shan State is lying in the eastern sector of Myanmar country. Shan State is bordered by Kachin State on the North, the People's Republic of China on the North and East, the Lao People's Democratic Republic on the East, Thailand and Kayah and Kayin States on the South and Mandalay and Sagaing Division on the West. Myanmar Shan State has a tropical climate with low temperature as they are hill regions. In the coldest months of December and January, the average temperature of the region is 70°F (21°C) to 80°F (26°C). The highest temperature in Konglung, Lashio, Hsipaw and Nyaungshwe towns in low valleys, is 100°F (37°C) at daylight. Rainfalls are over 60 inches at the hill and over 40 inches in the valleys. Not only South-west Monsoon brings rainfalls into the state but also waves of whirl wind from South China Sea produces rainfalls in late monsoon.

In Shan Myanmar state, Myanmar Inle Lake region is an area with a different lifestyle. Myanmar people in the region live at houses built on the edge of the lake. There are many national races residing in Shan. Shan nationals reside in river valleys and valleys throughout the state while Danu, Taungyoe, Inn-than (Inn-hsa) and Burma Myanmar nationals live in the west of Shan Myanmar Province. Palaung (Ta-aung) lives in the northern Shan, especially in Namhsan, and Pindaya, Lawksawk and Mongkai townships in the southern sector. Pa-O nationals are seen in the south of the State, Kachin and Lisu (Lishaw) in the north, Kokang in Kokang region, WA (Lwela) in Hopang Township on the east of Thanlwin River and Eikaw (Arkha) and Lahu in Kengtung region. Myanmar agriculture principal crops being paddy, wheat, chili, cotton, potatoes, groundnut, sesame, pulses, tea and Virginia tobacco in Myanmar Shan State. Shan Myanmar State's cold climate also allows cultivation of oranges, peaches, pears, damsons, apples, grapes, onions, pineapples, vegetables and Thanatphet Trees. Natural resources such as gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, iron, tin, antimony, coal, tungsten and precious stones in Shan Myanmar state.

The Myanmar cottage weaving industry of the Inle area in the southern Myanmar Shan State is famous for the lotus robes. The famous Myanmar Inle Lake is located in this part and it is a Myanmar tourist attraction.

Kalaw is 70 km west of Taunggyi, about halfway between it and Thazi in Myanmar. The town sits high on the ewstern edge of the Myanmar Shan Plateau, at an altitude of 1320 m. The size and breath of the town is deceptive since it sprawls up and over a number of hills only a portion of it is visible from the market area. A large Myanmar military base outside the town is an incongruous presence in this sylvan setting of gnarled pines and bamboo groves. The surrounding mountains cater to all tastes and fitness levels, from low intensity half day hikes to four or five day trips to minority hill tribe Myanmar communities. The Myanmar villages never really feel remote, which isn't necessarily a negative, but you may be surprised by the relatively high level of development. You'll no doubt show warn hospitality and offered tea and fruit harvested from the plantations that cover the town's steep slopes in Myanmar Shan State.

This small Myanmar (Burma) highway town is a transport junction for cargo and passengers traveling between Thazi and Taunggyi, north to pindaya or south to loikaw. As such, Myanmar Aungban's main function is to feed and fuel; among Myanmar Shan State truck drivers it's also infamous for its brothels.

The road north from Aungban to Pindaya passes through a bucolic postal setting that's like a whistler landscape the perfect Middle American or European countryside in Myanmar. You'll pass groups of Myanmar people wearing wide brimmed sun hats and hunched over rice and patoto fields, and the small Pa o and Danu Myanmar villages of Pwela and Ji chanzi. Easily visited from Kalaw on a day trip, pindaya is best known for its Myanmar Buddha filled limestone caves.

A strange and some what kitschy mix of the Myanmar artificial and natural and the commercial and holy, the pindaya caves, in a limestone rige overlooking the lake, are announced for miles around by the templelike structure covering the ramp and lift to the entrance. Once inside it is difficult not to succumb to Myanmar Buddha fatigue, as over 8000 Buddha images made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement have been arranged over the centuries to form a sea of serene faces in the labyrinthine cave chambers. Small plaques below most advertise the name and nationalities of the donors in Myanmar.

Northwest of Pindaya, near the Myanmar village of Ye Ngan, is the most important prehistoric site in Myanmar. The interior of one of the caves is decorated with the remains of very old Myanmar (Burma) paintings estimates extend to 11000 years of animal and human subjects, not unlike Neolithic cave paintings in Europe. Some visitors reckon that these caves, which were discovered in 1969, are more atmospheric than the heavily touristed Pindaya caves.

The Myanmar airstrip north of Heho is the gate way for many to the Myanmar inle lake and kalaw area. About half way between Aungban and Shwenyaung, which is the unction for the road south to Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake, Heho itself is just another Myanmar highway town. Myanmar Air Mandalay, Yangon airways and Myanma airwayas fly regularly between Yangon, Mandalay and Heho, newcomer Myanmar Began air offers direct flights from Bagan. Heho has a dusty market area just off the high way that hosts the largest of the five day markets in the southern area of Myanmar Shan state.

Myanmar Inle Lake is 22 km long, roughly 11 km wide, 875 above the sea level and a complete mirage. Facts notwithstanding, when you first encounter the lake its placid flatness in stark contrast to the peaks on either side it seems like a real life Atlantis where the plug has been partially pulled and you must hop in a Myanmar boat to gossip with a neighbour only a few metres away. The lakeshore and lake is landhome to 17 Myanmar villages on stilts, which are mostly inhavited by the intha Myanmar people. The lake doesn't really have shorelines you can't walk directly around it. The water gets shallower and the tangled hyacinths and marsh paddies get denser until the obstacle course becomes un-navigable and you reach the solid land.

Laid back Nyaungshwe's choice Myanmar accommodation and diverse activities from leisurely Myanmar boat rides to strenuous hikes-conbine to throw off the itineraries of many travelers who extend their stays Naungshwe. During the tourist high season, Nyaungshwe, which is 3.5 km from the northern end of the Myanmar Inle Lake, can seem overrunning with foreigners in Myanmar Naungshwe. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for the many Myanmar locals who profit from their presence. Besides Kalaw, this town is one of the few places in Myanmar country to exude a backpacker vibe, evidenced by the number of inexpensive but comfortable Myanmar guesthouses and restaurants specializing in spaghetti and pancakes.

Taunggyi feels distant from the tourist oriented Nyaungshwe, it's Chinese influence visibvle in the architecture and physiognomy of its inhabitants in Myanmar. The town's essence is the main Myanmar commercial thoroughfare that runs from north to south. It's flanked by tightly packed Myanmar building selling everything from refrigerators to knock off designer clothing and more mundance electrical supplies in Taunggyi Myanmar. Taunggyi provides a cool break from the heat of the plains. There are some pleasant walks if you are in the mood, but basically the town is a growning tade centre for the south western area of Shan Myanmar state. All that remain of the colonial era is an overgrown graveyard, a stone church, aline of cherry tree and a handful of timber cottages, all on the fringes of town in Myanmar.

Kengtung appears more planned than the average medium sized Myanmar town. There's a less ad-hoc feel and more uniformity of design. This organization, coupled with a pleasant sense of isolation and the picturesque mountain backdrip, sees Myanmar kengtung hit the rare Myanmar trifecta. Tucked away in the far east of Myanmar Shan state 456 km northeast of Taunggyi, 163 km north of the border town of Tachileik (opposite Mae Sai, Thailand) and 1200 m above sea level kengtung is the sleepy but Myanmar historic centre for the sate's khun culture, surrounded by wa, shan, akha and Lahu Myanmar villages. Built around a small lake and dotted with ageing Buddhist temples and few examples of Myanmar colonial architecture, kengtung is probably the most scenic town in Myanmar Shan state. It's a good base for trip to Myanmar ethnic minority villages.