Floating villages on water in Myanmar

Long-neck women weaving cloth or Intha men sailing with one leg are the images that mark the minds of visitors about Inle Lake.

Inle Lake is located in central Shan State, nearly 600 km from Yangon. With an area of ​​about 220 km2, this is the second largest freshwater lake in Myanmar, located at an altitude of about 889 m above sea level, surrounded by high mountains. Life on Inle Lake is like a forgotten ancient world, completely separate from the bustling life outside.

Inle is not only a pristine waters but also inhabited by Intha and a small number of Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar. Scattered on the surface of Inle Lake are floating villages. Houses here are made of simple bamboo and wood, floors a few meters from the water surface to prevent water rising in the rainy season. Inle Lake tour will take visitors to visit the flower-growing village, making cigars, the village of the long neck and the famous temples.

The first image you encounter on Lake Inle are Intha men standing on one leg in small wooden boats for fishing. Previously, Inle Lake had many reeds so fishermen need to stand tall to be easily observed. They use one leg to row the boat, one foot to keep balance and release their hands to throw the net, drop.

Another village on Inle Lake is of the long neck. Kayan women often wear dozens of kilograms of copper on their necks throughout their lives. They rarely move outside, often weaving on the loom and chatting when tourists visit.

Occasionally on the lake, visitors will also see flea markets, reminiscent of the image of Vietnam in the past with thermos to keep heat, cast iron pots, vegetables and fruits to be sold on bamboo stalls, simple wood.

Life on Inle Lake is self-sufficient and self-sufficient. Transportation is the long wooden boats. If they want to trade and shop, they can drive a boat to the flea markets. Children who want to go to school often have to go a long way to enter Nyaung Shwe village.

However, for Myanmar people, the new temple is an important place for children to practice. Traditionally, all children from 5 to 16 years old can go to the temple to practice as a novice novice to tell their family. Pictured is Phaung Daw Oo, one of the largest temples in Inle.

Many temples in Inle are open to tourists. This is where visitors can visit the architecture or shop for souvenirs just outside the temple gate.

Not only do houses on the water, Inle people also cultivate right on the lake. This is considered one of the most unique cultivation methods in the world. According to people, Inle Lake rarely has big storms. They use duckweed, moss to make floating floating cages and cultivate on it.

These floating rafts are fixed by bamboo poles and can rise and fall according to the season of water. Intha's daughter, at the age of marriage, was cut by a parent for a dowry to make as a dowry. The typical dish Inle often introduces to visitors is tomato salad grown on these unique fields.