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Shan
Myanmar, Shan Burma, Shan chin, Shan
hill,
Shan Myanmar, Shan river, Shan state
Myanmar,
Shan Thai, asean Myanmar, Bagan
Myanmar
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The name Shan is not used among the people
themselves, and probably originates,
as do also Chin, and Kachin, in a common
Chinese term for hill-savage, or barbarian.
The Shan's call themselves Thai, meaning
'free', and remnants of their ethnic group
are spread right across east Asia, from
Canton to Assam —the greatest single unit
being the Siamese or present day Thai's.
It is their singular passion for freedom
which has kept the Thais disunited. In
general, those peoples that remain in the
mountains reflect in their character the
physical division of their environment into
hills and valleys. The smaller the tribe
the greater the freedom. These
republicans of south-eastern Asia sometimes
carried their democracy to a point where
there were no chiefs and not even a village
council.
Only when they are driven by some invader
from their valleys, and forced down into
the plains — as were the Siamese or Thai —
can they be united, and prepared for
civilization.
From Bagan to Inle Lake - Shan State- .
Pick-up
trucks going direct to Naungshwe , the
drop-off point for Inle leave Bagan at 4
am. They pick up passengers at Nyaung Oo
before making the run for Meiktila. Dawn
breaks just before the stop at Kyaukpadaung
for breakfast. At 6:30 am the journey
resumes. Kyet-mauktaung dam lies six to
eight kilometers to the north.
The
topography, flora and fauna, now
familiar from our journey, |
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greet us again.
A brief halt to stretch our legs and take
tea at Meiktila at
8 am, and once again we are on our way.
Crossing the bridge we get a good view of
the wide Meiktila Lake, with the long wooden
foot bridge leading out a good 100 metres or
more to the Yay Le Phaya or
Pagoda-in-the-waters. We head east
towards the southern Shan hills.
Large rain trees line the road and
the flat land is wet and green with
young paddy. Even summer paddy has
become a reality in some dry zone
areas where adequate irrigation
facilities have been developed. Soon htanaung, tamarind and toddy palms
appear. A large reservoir brimming
with water lies to our right and
shortly after the 14 mile leg of the
journey to Thazi, we come upon the
railway junction where the main
Yangon-Mandalay line
branches off to Shwenyaung. |
Shan State ox cart Myanmar |
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East bound once
again, the road gets bumpier, the
countryside remains flat with a few bushes,
stunted trees, cacti, goats and cattle.
A
signboard informs one and all in bold
painted letters that the considerable extent
of water on our right is the Hnget Min Kone
dam.
Mulberry, cotton plants and rain trees
are
close by with small clumps of medium-sized
trees further in the distance. The southern
Shan hills loom through the mist ahead,
about an hour out of Meiktila.
Presently the
road ascends ever so slightly and then
flattens again. Htanaung and rain trees are
no longer present. Instead we see clumps of
bamboo and plum trees beside the road. We
climb once more, the gradient is not steep
but we are now definitely in the foothills
with the hillside rising just above to our
right and the ground to the left dropping
some six to nine meters. More bamboo forests
appear with smaller trees with darker green
interspersed on the hills. The road becomes
even for some distance then rises again on a
steeper gradient. Our car reaches Yinmabin
where we take lunch. |
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Shan State, the red tree Myanmar |
The journey through Shan State onward
is a continuous ascent
with only a few short stretches of even
road. Forests of dry leafless, medium-sized
trees and thorn forests fill the hillsides.
The vegetation is greener, the trees larger
with denser foliage as we advance. Small
hamlets in valleys and lowland along the
wayside look fresh and verdant with banana,
coconut, mango and other trees.
The road
takes many hazardous twists and turns as it
winds uphill, sometimes on the left,
then on the right side of the adjoining
hill, with steep cliffs or wooded hillsides
towering first on one side of the road and
then the other. Away from the cliffs are
deep valleys with dry stream beds or with
water trickling down the hills. Misty green
wooded hills at times seem to pop out on one
side with others coming into sight ahead.
Tiny settlements with cultivated patches on
flat stretches are more frequent logs piled
by the roadside indicate we are in a logging
area.
Shan Myanmar Novitiation
Procession |
Shan Myanmar Festival
Annoncement |
Shan Hill Peasants daily
live |
Shan Hill Peasants Boys and
Buffalo |
Shan Hill Cultivator |
Shan Myanmar Coach |
Shan Myanmar Rural Ox Cart
Transportation |
Shan Myanmar Transportation
Pick Up Toyota |
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In the Shan State, this is one of the main timber production regions
for commercially valuable hardwood such as
teak, padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus),
pyinkado (Xylia dolabriformis), (Dipterocarpus
tuberculatus), Ingyin (Pentacme siamensis),
Thitya (Shorea oblongifolia) and pyinma
(Lagerstroemia speciosa).
There are a few hairpin turns with low
concrete guard walls at the most dangerous
spots. Traffic is fairly heavy —ubiquitous
Japanese pick-up trucks with roof-top
passengers, buses, trucks, vans, saloon
cars, government vehicles, coaches and quite
a number of bowsers — both on the up and
down runs. Vehicles on the downhill route
stop well in advance to allow ample time and
space for those coming up to safely
negotiate difficult passages. The same rule
is applied at bridges.
Shan State farmer Myanmar |
We are beyond Pyinyaung
— another centre for
transshipment of timber — and are now at an
altitude of about 610 metres. The scenery is
pleasant, the surroundings are lush and
green, the air is cooler and the rays of the
sun struggling through the mists bear down
more gently.
A decided contrast to that
phase of our trip below an elevation of 300 metres. A hairpin turn and soon our truck
passes Wetphyuyit, between mileposts 61 and
62, negotiates another uphill hairpin bend
and then rolls through Yay-ywa. Both are
large villages, the latter within eight
kilometres of Kalaw. |
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Soon we enter Kalaw, a
popular hill resort during British days, 112 kilometres from Meiktila and 70 kilometres
west of Taungyi. Located on the western edge
of the Shan Plateau at an elevation of 1,300
metres, this small, peaceful town feels cool
and pleasant even at noon in dry season.
Small pines appear on the landscape
with a few hills not far off and we
notice ducks and water buffaloes
which we have not seen for some
time. This is a favourite tourist
stop. A good starting point for
hikes to nearby Palaung villages
through pine woods, orchards and
bamboo groves. The terrain is now
flat and the road passes through
beautiful country. This region
produces temperate climate fruits
such as pears, peaches and oranges
in addition to rice, tea, wheat,
soya beans, groundnuts, tobacco,
potatoes, garlic, sunflower seeds
and dried green cordia leaves used
as cheroot wrappers. |
Pindaya Caves and Shan
Umbrellas made from Shan
Paper
Some 10 kilometres on lies Aungban, a
popular stopping place. Shortly before we
get there, a road branches north from the
main road in the direction of the small town
of Pindaya 41 kilometres away where the
Pindaya Caves are located. |
Pindaya Cave Buddha Images
Shan Myanmar
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Pindaya Cave Buddha Shan
Myanmar |
The caves contain thousands of Buddha images
in a limestone ridge overlooking lovely Boutaloke Lake and are a Shan State tourist
attraction.
Nearby the Shan paper is
manufactured, made from mulberry bark and
mainly used to produce the pretty umbrellas,
a other place in
Myanmar where
beautiful umbrellas
are made is Pathein
or Bassein.
Manufacturing
pretty umbrellas with
handmade Shan paper |
Pretty
umbrella and small Shan girl
Myanmar |
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Pindaya Cave
limestone ridge
overlooking lovely
Boutaloke Lake Shan
Myanmar |
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We continue in an easterly direction from
Aungban to Heho, the nearest airport for Taungyi and Inlay, then to Shwenyaung. Here,
the eleven kilometer road to Naungshwe and
Inle turns off to the south while the main
road leads to Taungyi. The land around is
wet, flat and green with paddy cultivation
in progress. Duck, water buffaloes and
egrets abound.
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The Nankand canal from Shwenyaung to Inle
Lake parallels the road on the east. Lead
and eucalyptus trees, orange blooms of gold
mohur, red clusters of flame of the forest
and a profusion of red and white
bougainvillaea greet us as we motor to the
principal lake town Naungshwe, one kilometre
from the north end of Inle. This is the jump
off point for excursions around the famed
lake.
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What you can find on this page:
Naungshwe , Inle Lake, Nyaung Oo, Meiktila,
topography, flora, fauna, Meiktila Lake, Yay Le Phaya, Pagoda-in-the-waters,
mulberry, cotton plants, rain trees, southern Shan hills, htanaung,
tamarind, toddy palms, teak, padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), pyinkado (Xylia
dolabriformis), (Dipterocarpus tuberculatus), Ingyin (Pentacme, siamensis), Thitya (Shorea oblongifolia) and
pyinma (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Pyinyaung, timber, Kalaw, Meiktila,
Taungyi, Palaung, Aungban, Pindaya Caves, Buddha images, Boutaloke
Lake, Nankand canal, Shwenyaung, Inle Lake parallels the road on the east.
Lead and eucalyptus trees, orange blooms of gold mohur, red clusters of
flame of the forest, bougainvillaea, Naungshwe.
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