Page 272 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

270 INLE LAKE AND THE EAST KENGTUNG
KAYAN OR PADAUNG?
The people of Pan Pet are commonly referred to as the Padaung. This is actually a Shan name
and considered pejorative by the so-called “Padaung”, who actually refer to themselves as
Kayan. However, Padaung remains by far the most commonly encountered appellation. For
more on the Kayan/Padaung, see p.383.

6 interpreter and guide and give you the chance to visit and talk with the Kayan ladies in
their own homes – a memorable and equitable experience, and a far cry from the
touristy “giraffe lady”-style encounters you’ll get around Inle Lake. Coming on a
guided tour, it’s also possible to combine visits to the village with a short trek (90min)
through the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Hta Nee La Leh
Less memorable than Pan Pet but still offering an enjoyable day-trip from Loikaw is the
neat Kayah village of Hta Nee La Leh, around a 45-minute drive southeast of Loikaw.
CBT tours (see p.268) offer the chance to visit local homes of the village’s Kayah residents
in their traditional red garb, see local cultural artefacts including unusual totem poles and
a traditional “hunting shrine”, and take an ox-cart ride to the local Seven Lakes beauty
spot (traditional Kayah-style lakeside barbecues can be arranged on request).

Kengtung

The third-largest town in Shan State, KENGTUNG (also known as Kyaingtong, and in either
case pronounced “Chengtong”) feels both physically and culturally quite separate from the
rest of Myanmar, nestled deep in the country’s far east, just a few hours’ drive from
Thailand, China and Laos (although only the Thai border is open to foreigners). Thai baht
and Chinese yuan are accepted alongside Burmese kyat, while Shan is the predominant
language and the signature Burmese longyi and thanaka are notable by their almost
complete absence. The proximity of Thailand is particularly in evidence, with Thai
products lining the shelves of local shops and Leo and Singha beer served in the town’s
cafés and beer stations alongside the ubiquitous Myanmar brand. Many pagodas also show
a certain Siamese influence and are named using the Thai wat rather than the Burmese
paya – even the monks wear Thai-style orange robes alongside the usual Burmese red.
Kengtung was formerly the capital of the most important of the Shan States (the
saopha’s fine palace survived until 1991, when it was ignominiously destroyed by the
Burmese military). The town later become a major colonial administrative centre during
the British era and was occupied by Thai forces for three years during World War II.
Largely neglected under military rule, it has yet to experience the creeping modernization
which is changing the face of other similar-sized Burmese towns, and preserves an
unhurried atmosphere, a fascinating ethnic patchwork of peoples and more pagodas than
it properly knows what to do with. The bother and expense of reaching the place (see
p.273) also means that it sees relatively few tourists – most of those who visit are en route
to or from Thailand – although the rewarding trekking opportunities (see box, p.272) in
the surrounding countryside and the chance to get well off the tourist trail might tempt
you to splash the cash on a plane ticket here even if you’re not Thailand-bound.

Kengtung Market
• Just off the Taunggyi–Tachileik Rd • Daily 6am–6pm • Free
Kengtung’s market is as colourful as any in Shan State, with a multicultural array of
shoppers and stallholders including Shan, Lahu, Akha, Thai, Chinese and Indian,