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 Shan State is border
by Kachin State on the north, China on the north
and east, Laos on the east, Thailand, Kayah and
Kayin States on the south and Mandalay and
Sagaing Divisions on the west. Among the seven
states in Mandalay, it is the largest with a
population of almost five million people and it
fills up almost a quarter of Myanmar's
geographic area and thousands of visitors make
their way to this part of Myanmar to visit its
most famous tourist attraction Photo: Leg-rower
at Inle Lake which
is the spectacular Inle Lake (Inlay lake).
Shan State was never fully incorporated by colonial
Burma and did not go gently into independence
and conflicts between the government and the
ethnic rebels is still an ongoing affair in this
mountainous part of Myanmar. A major part of Shan
State is a hilly plateau with mountains in the
north and south region. The gorge of Thanlwin
River (Salween River) cut across the state.
Running through the Shan State is part of the
Golden Triangle with its profitable cash crop,
papaver somnifeum controlled by local warlords
whereby the volume of opium coming out of
Myanmar is rivaled only by Afghanistan.
 The capital
city of Shan
State is Taunggyi and located thirty kilometers from the
capital is the very famous and beautiful Inle
Lake studded with floating islands formed by
growth and decay of vegetation and known for its
leg-rowers of Inle Lake, floating villages and colorful
markets, the long-necked women and the country's
national dress, the 'longyi'. This still shallow
lake stretches twenty two km and is ringed by
high hills.
Photo: 'Houses'
on Inle Lake
 Inle Lake is one of
the many amazing places of interest found in
Myanmar. This vast lake is about twenty-two
kilometers in length and ten kilometers across
has about two hundred thousand residents which
live mostly in boats or floating villages. The
view at Inle Lake is second to none and is well
known for the unique leg-rowing of the Inthas
which are the native lake dwellers. Tourists
attractions seen here include Ywama which is the
largest village on this lake, Phaung-daw U
Pagoda which houses five small Buddha images,
Mine Thauk Market, Paya Pauk Pagoda, Zakah
village and Nga Phe Monastery.
Photo : Kalaw Hill Station
Other places of
interest around Inle Lake include Taunggyi which
showcases ethnic minorities in their traditional
dresses at the local market, Kalaw hill station
which has some superb Tudor-style houses with
beautiful English gardens and Pindaya Caves
which has extensive limestone caves and a
fifteen meters high Shwe U Min Pagoda. To enjoy
your stay here at Inle lake, there many
affordable cottage-style hotels both on the lake
and at Nyaung-shwe. The entry point to
Shan State by air is through Heho town while
good hotels
and resorts are easily available in the main
cities.
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