A large and bustling market where one can find a real local atmosphere with a variety of produce from the lake.

Ngaphe Kyaung Monastery situated in Ngephe Kyaung Ywa Oo, Nyaungshwe Township, Southern Shan State. It is popularly known as the Jumping Cat Monastery.

The monastery renowned for its artistic features is made even more famous by the cats in the monastery. The cats are family and are able to jump through hoops of rope. When they are told “Jump” they jump through the hoop of rope.So, The Ngaphe Kyaung Monastery came to be called Jumping Cat Monastery.

When you are touring the Inle region, you are cordially invited to venerate the ancient Buddha images and observe the unusual jumping skills of the fascinating cats.

Phaungdawoo Pagoda is one of the most famous pagodas in Myanmar. Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda houses five small Buddha images. The pagoda festival is during the end of September and early of October. In this festival Buddha images are rowed around the Inle Lake by carrying with a colorful barge.

Inle Lake can be found other treasures that are part of our ancient cultural heritage. Shwe Inn Thein Pagoda is one such storage area of some of these cultural treasures.

To get there, one has to go due southwest and proceed for about 7 miles by outboard motor along the Indein Creek, which flows into the main lake and then disembark to continue on foot for approximately half a mile. One will arrive then at the large covered passageway leading to the Shrine of the Indein Buddha Image. Huge circular cement pillars support the long passage with tiled cement flooring. Zinc sheets cover both the ceiling and the roof.

There are altogether 804 supporting pillars, which give one an idea of how long the covered passage is. It is the most solid and longest ancient passageway in the Inle region. There are also many small stupas on each side of the passage. It is truly a wondrous sight to see so many ancient stupas on the banks of the Inle Lake.

All the stupas in these precincts are collectively known as the Shwe Indein Pagoda. There are still traces of ancient murals on the walls of the passage. According to evidence provided by the Indein Stone Inscription, the first religious monument in this locality was donated in the 20th year of the Buddhist Calendar by the great missionary emperor Thiridhamman Thawka (King Asoka). Later, it is said that King Anawrahta of Bagan and one of his descendants Narapati Sithu made donations towards renovations and the building of additional stupas.

The stone figures and statues and the floral designs that adorn the stupas show the high standard of the artists and artisans of those ancient days. The workmanship of these works of arts is contemporary to that of the Bagan and Konbaung age. The long and winding passage finally leads to the Shrine of the Indein Buddha Image of which the donor is said to be the Emperor Asoka. The Inle Lake region of southeastern Shan State is not only a place of natural scenic splendor, but also an ancient cultural site with its amazing collection of ancient stupas, caves temples, prayer halls and shrines.

The largest village on the Inle Lake, its streets are a web of canals. There are some beautiful teak houses built on large wooden polis driven into the Lark bed. The main activity and attraction is at the floating market. It is also has many silver smiths.