Kengtung Things to Do

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Visit Ho Kyin village with Akha tribes, still
wearing traditional costumes with silver coils. If an Akhar woman wants
to dress up with her complete costume, it will take about more than one hour.
Having immigrated from Chinas Yunnan province about 200 years ago, the majority of Akha-tribes settles now in Thailand, but about one third is situated in Laos and Burma`s "Golden Triangle", near the Thai- and Chinese border.

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Right in the center of Kengtung there is a group of striking 19th century Buddhist sites, Maha Myat Muni (Shan/Thai name Wat Phra Jao Lung) and Wat Ho Khong temple and monastery. ( Because of the cultural influence of the Shan and Thai languages, most temples and monasteries have both a Shan and a Burmese name). The interior of the Maha Myat Muni is decorated with gold paintings on a red background. The nearby Wan Phat Kyauk monastery features beautifully carved inlaid doors.
In the monasterie`s school, the kids and junior monks learn the socalled "Khun"- language, which is a Shan-language,very similar to that used in Northern Thailand.

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Getting to Kengtung, in the center of Myanmars Shan-State, is spectacular. By air, the plane flies over an endless series of green mountains and river gorges, interspersed with cultivated fields and small towns and villages. Around the "city" of Kengtung there are various villages of the ethnical minorities, the so called "hill-tribes" within a distance of about one driving hour, plus some steep hiking.
You may visit the village of Pintauk with its Lahu tribes, Yan Law Village with Khun tribes, Wan Pauk
village with Red Palaung Tribes. People are friendly,but one has to adapt to the somewhat different hygiene-standards.You may be offered a drink of local booze by the village-headman; it may be a new and different experience, but NEVER decline to take it !

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Spent the best 10 days of my life in this cool town. Dont come on a package tour because you cant do it justice. By the time I left I felt like a resident.
Its the ultimate in off the beaten path.
if you love Ang Akah and lahu culture this should be your base.If it takes under 3 hours to get to then dont bother as it will be touristy.Hotel Shien tip is virtually brand new...the Woman that is manager may come across as stern but is fantastic..all the staff are great and help x 10 but you have to ask first...ok i'm bias as they were like a soragate familly to me.
At the Airport Mawn tu the cab driver with a tri Shaw is the best informed guide I came across, Not money orientated like a breath of fresh air...this man was like a best friend/Brother..such honesty is rare these day.
Could rave on but to be honest i want this town to remain a secret...
I will be back next year 2008

The center of Kengtung is all old wall city. The wall and maybe a couple of the gates tis still mostly intact, although it is in disrepair and is overgrown in most places. (Not hard to spot it though, and you can follow it around most of the city if you are so inclined)

Of the old gates to the city, the one that is in the best shape is the Paleng Gate on the Southeast side of the city, just a minute or so away from the Princess Hotel.

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This temple was built by the coorperation of 4 countries,there 're : Thailand,Burma,Laos and China.In the temple consisted of a stairway to the temple on the hill where located a couple of Lion statues as gaurdian on the entrance.On the hill,there 're a principal pagoda surrounded with small pagodas and Mondop,housed Buddha images on four sides. All 're in Burmese style.Another interesting stuff's a couple of funny statues holding a bell.

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I don't know why the Burmese army built some funny sculptures around the lake.But it made this lake more interesting and funny. There're a big sculpture of Dinosaur like Godzilla,play ground with colourful stuffs,some cutie sculptures of water animal and also holy sculpture of Naga Queen.

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This lake use as resevoir for army and villagers on Lwe Mwe.I visited there on a cloudy and rainy day,so the scenery was a bit gloomy and foggy.But I enjoyed there. At the center of lake,the Burmese army was built a colourful zigzag wooden bridge as you can see in the pictures.