In western Shan State, you will find picturesque Inle Lake, famous for its floating villages and gardens and the unique way of life of the local Intha people, with their living communities based entirely on the water.
The lake, which measures 22 km long by 10 km wide, and sits in a valley between two mountain ranges, feels like a different world to the rest of Myanmar: in villages and towns across the lake, wooden houses are built on stilts and fishermen steer their one-man boats with a characteristic rowing style, wrapping one leg around their oar.
The Inle Lake region is one of Myanmar's most anticipated destinations, and all the hype is justified. Picture a vast, serene lake – 13.5 miles long and 7 miles wide – fringed by marshes and floating gardens, where stilt-house villages and Buddhist temples rise above the water, and Intha fisher folk propel their boats along via their unique technique of leg-rowing. Surrounding the lake are hills that are home to myriad minorities: Shan, Pa-O, Taung Yo, Danu, Kayah and Danaw, who descend from their villages for markets that hopscotch around the towns of the region on a five-day cycle.
Today, we are enjoying the beauty of Inle Lake because generation after generation of Innthar, Danu, Taung Yoe, and Shan ethnic people preserved it for us. Our children may still enjoy it but unless we stop unsustainable exploitation of the lake our grandchildren will only know of it through history books and old Facebook photos postings,” he said.
He joined the Shan State Minister of Forestry and Mining, H.E U Sai Aik Paung and the Norwegian Ambassador H.E Ann Ollestad in urging the workshop participants to learn from the experts from Malaysia, Philippines, India and Japan who are attending the workshop to share their knowledge and experiences.
The workshop provides the stakeholders with an opportunity to learn the other countries’ practices. It will also provide a forum to discuss the possible options for the management of Inle Lake and identify feasible options.
Thank You
