Inle Lake

   Located in western Shan State, home to the Intha people and since British colonial days one of Burma's major tourist attractions. Inle Lake extends in a north-south direction, is approximately 17-18 kilometers long and 5-6 kilometers wide, and is at an elevation of 875 meters above sea level. Its shores and islands are densely populated, with about 150,000 people living there, and the area is a major producer of rice, vegetables, and fruit. Many crops are grown on "floating islands," which are masses of soil tied together with strands of water hyacinth. It is also a major center for silk weaving, comparable to Amarapura. The major town is Yawnghwe (Nyaungshwe), the capital of one of the old Shan States. Best known to tourists for its "leg rowers," fishermen who use one leg to row their narrow wooden boats while dropping their conical nets over the fish below, Inle Lake is also the location of the Phaung Daw U Paya, an important Shan (Tai) Buddhist site.