“Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an elevation of 2,900 feet (880 m). During the dry season, the average water depth is 7 feet (2.1 m), with the deepest point being 12 feet (3.7 m), but during the rainy season this can increase by 5 feet (1.5 m). Although the lake is not large, it contains a number of endemic species. Over twenty species of snails and nine species of fish are found nowhere else in the world. In June 2015, it becomes the Myanmar's first designated place of World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The people of Inle Lake (called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient farmers.

Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by somewhat larger boats fitted with single cylinder inboard diesel engines. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds. However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men. Women row in the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross legged at the stern.

Fish caught from the lake – the most abundant kind is called nga hpein locally (Inle carp, Cyprinus intha) – are a staple of the local diet. A popular local dish is htamin gyin – “fermented” rice kneaded with fish and/or potato – served with hnapyan gyaw (literally twice fried – Shan tofu). In addition to fishing, locals grow vegetables and fruit in large gardens that float on the surface of the lake. The floating garden beds are formed by extensive manual labor. The farmers gather up lake-bottom weeds from the deeper parts of the lake, bring them back in boats and make them into floating beds in their garden areas, anchored by bamboo poles. These gardens rise and fall with changes in the water level, and so are resistant to flooding. The constant availability of nutrient-laden water results in these gardens being incredibly fertile. Rice cultivation is also significant”. – Wikipedia



A fisherman paddles his boat with one leg on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. Inle is one of the country's most popular tourist sites. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





People travel in boats on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





An ethnic Kyan woman sits as she works as a receptionist at a gift shop on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





A man travels in a boat on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





A woman rows her boat as she harvests tomatoes on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





An ethnic Kyan woman sits as she works as a receptionist at a gift shop on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





A fisherman paddles his boat with one leg on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





A woman rows her boat as she harvests tomatoes on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





A man travels in a boat on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)





People travel in boats on Inle lake, in Myanmar's Shan State September 4, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)