Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Myanmar - Burma

Around Inle Lake there are two vineyards. If the Red Mountain Estate is the closest, it is not necessarily the best production. Nevertheless, the location remains surprising, nestled on the heights of Inle Lake and taking advantage of the microclimate of the valley. Creating wine in a tropical country has not been easy! A bet largely won thanks to a passionate team and the help of French specialists. After a visit of the estate, you will be able to treat yourself to a wine tasting while enjoying the superb sunset view over the lake and the valley.

The Pindaya cave has obscure origins. The immense collection of Buddha images it houses is in fact the largest Buddhist museum in Burma. Some of the 8,000 original statues have been stolen, but there are believed to be 2,000 more, made of teak, alabaster, marble or bronze. You will climb a few steps up to the entrance of the cave. There, a multitude of statues await you in the humidity.

The tazaung or prayer hall. Built by U Khanti, the hermit monk who was also the architect of Mandalay Hill and other religious buildings in Burma.

After climbing the south staircase and passing the usual pagoda shops, you will be confronted with images of Buddha adorned and set in glass niches.

The entrance to the cave is guarded by two mythological dragons.

Alaungsithu's stūpa. The first stūpa you pass by on your way to the place was built by King Alaungsithu in 1160.

The hive of Buddha images. At the top, at the right angle on the north side of the cave, you can see images of Buddha so small that they look like bees.

The ancient stūpa. Almost entirely hidden by the stacked Buddha images is an ancient stūpa, built by the Indian emperor Ashoka more than 2,000 years ago.

The ancient statue. Just at the foot of this stūpa (no. 6), are ancient images of seated Buddha. The construction would be contemporary to Ashoka.

The labyrinth. You enter the labyrinth formed by the accumulation of Buddha's images over centuries.

The Bay-Thit-Ja-Guru images. Rare Burmese examples of Buddha images depicted in the mudra meaning 'great physicist'.

The image of Buddha sitting on the back of an elephant. Carved in wood, it would be more than 600 years old.

The meditation rooms. Several meditation rooms. One of them is only accessible on all fours. Sathipathana Vipassana meditation is practiced there.

The sweating statue. It is said that this image of Buddha was always wet.

The rock gongs. Before there were bells, people came to ring these gongs to tell the village about its merits.

The miraculous stūpa. The most venerated in the cave: it is believed to have the power to grant wishes.

The victorious point. The place where one can pray to any god or other sacred figure, supposed to help the practitioner to be persevering and victorious.

The black chalk hill. Considered sacred, the believers say that when you come into contact with the rock, you purify yourself of all evil thoughts.

The fairy pond. Its water would be good as tears because it contains copper and zinc after its passage underground.

"Termination". According to the legend, the original cave did not have the shape it has today. It was so deep that you could walk all the way to Bagan by foot. More scientifically, when the cave was formed, water must have flowed naturally through this hole.

The Alegu pagoda. After walking through the main cave, you can go to an artificial cave, Alegu paya. It is a five-minute walk from the main cave, free entrance. While all the Buddhas in the main cave are represented with their eyes closed, as a sign of contemplation of the Dhamma, those in the Alegu Pagoda have their eyes open, through Enlightenment.

For the return journey, avoid going up the stairs by cutting into the mountainside.

The rocky walls of these magnificent caves are fully carved with Buddhist effigies. At the bottom, a cave dating back to the century houses Buddhas represented in all positions. The caves are located two kilometers walking along the Salouen, from Hpa Gat. A pick-up connects Hpa-An to Hpa Gat early in the morning for 500 K. It starts around 11:30 a. m., which is a little short to make the visit, to take one of the pickup, later in the day, on the big road that connects Hpa-An to Kyaikto (on the bridge).

From Monywa, you can reach the famous Hpo Win Daung caves about 25 km away. These "sandstone" caves are magnificent: pagodas dug into the rock and in which hundreds of Buddhas are arranged. These caves are named after U Hpo Win, a famous alchemist who lived in the area. Superb frescoes and images of Buddhas lie inside the caves, some dating from the 14th to 16th centuries.

An exceptional cave is sunk into the bowels of the mountain. Here are sculptures of Buddhas and nats. Behind the lit and sacred part, you put your shoes back on to enter a dark gallery which opens, ten minutes later, on the other side of the mountain, with a lake with turquoise waters where live fishing families who will be pleased to take you on a pirogue for a few kyats. The ceiling of the gallery is stained with bats. You can rely on the torch or ask the monks at the entrance.

The pickup starts as soon as it's full, as usual. It's best to plan an early morning departure. You will then be dropped off at a crossroads, from where you will have a good hour's walk. Follow the road on the right until you reach a small refreshment bar. Its presence says a lot about the effort you still have to make! The descent is quite easy, gravitation obliges. Follow the sounds of water to orient yourself in the gorge. Five falls can theoretically be observed, but it is not always easy to find them all: if you find yourself hanging from the vines along a steep wall, you have made a mistake. If possible, turn back! Don't hesitate to walk barefoot in the refreshing little streams, especially as the bottoms are made of very pleasant pumice stones. On the way back, there are many small shortcuts along very steep paths, but which allow you to land more quickly on the way back. On the other hand, you won't pass the refreshment bar a second time. You have to choose! There are vendors offering water all along, and for good reason! That being said, you can now take advantage of being in Anisakan to take a short walk to the bamboo Buddha. It's not so common and it's a place quite frequented by the pilgrims of the region. It will take half an hour walk to reach it from the main road.

Once off the boat In Dein reserves one of the most beautiful surprises of the lake. You have to take the long and wide covered stairs for almost a kilometre, bordered by a small market of local stalls. It crosses the swampy countryside to reach King Alaungsithu's zedi. At the end, the Shwe Inn Tain pagoda is enthroned. Very pretty, but it is not the one we come to see here. At the back, we must find the exit to stay stuck in front of the landscape. A forest of stupas that rushes by hundreds of all colors in the heart of the bamboo grove.

A lot of handicraft workshops populate the lake. During a pirogue excursion, your pilot will stop you wherever he wants. So don't hesitate to choose your itinerary according to your points of interest first with the hotel so that the message is transmitted to him because he doesn't necessarily speak English. Blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers, cheeroots factories, these cigars rolled by hand, the choice is vast. The most interesting according to us: the floating gardens, the cigarette factory, and the lotus factory. And if you like Burmese cats, the Inle Heritage!

The hill and the 1,700 steps to climb are well worth a visit, with crowds of tourists arriving for the sunset. The view over the Mandalay Valley and the palace is breathtaking. The renovation of the terrace was completed in 1995, leaving a platform at the top of the sacred hill tiled with a surprising patchwork of yellow earthenware, flowers and mirrors. Our advice, come down just after sunset, when the tourists are still on the terrace, to enjoy the temples built along the steps.

When you arrive at the top, you will have to register and report to the police if you spend or not the night at the top. Indeed, foreigners are forbidden to sleep in monasteries or «camps» open to Burmese people who settle above restaurants. But many tourists bypass this regulation and, if you need to be checked, there is a lot to bet that the forces of the order would prove to be binding on you (for monks, we are less secure).