Visit the floating market

Hand- made goods for local use and trading are another source of commerce. Typical products include tools, carvings and other ornamental objects, textiles, and cheroots. When held on the lake itself, trading is conducted from small boats. This ‘floating-market’ event tends to emphasize tourist trade much more than the other four. A local market serves most common shopping needs and is held daily but the location of the event rotates through five different site around the lake area ( Nyaung Shwe, Heho, Taunggyi, Minethauk, Shwe Nyaung), thus each of them hosting an itinerant market every fifth day.

Phaung-Daw-Oo Pagoda Festival

Inle is famous for the Phaung-Daw-Oo pagoda Festival which is usually held during October each year on a very lavish scale. The festival takes about 18 days and it is the biggest occasion held in the Lake, Shan State. The spectacular procession of hundreds of leg-rowers in their long boats pulling the huge Karaweik, bird-shaped ceremonial barge, accompanied by boats ladened with dancers and musicians, is indeed a memorable sight. There are also Shan traditional boat races participated by leg-rowers. People from all the villages nearby come to pay homage to the Images.