Taunggyi: Market, Pagodas and Tazaungdine Festival

The local market in Taunggyi offers a variety of goods that reflect the culture of Shan State. Together with two pagodas and the Tazaungdine Festival, it offers a glimpse of different aspects of the destination. When planning your trip, consider whether goods and local culture, architectural history, views or events should be your focus.

Market and Festival

A diverse range of goods is at the heart of the market. Its cultural connection to Shan State complements Taunggyi’s architectural attractions: here the focus is on goods, while there it is on specific buildings. If you are interested in culture, you can view both as different perspectives on the place.

The Taunggyi Tazaungdine Hot-Air Balloon Festival features hot-air balloon competitions held during the day and at night. These different times of day are a specific factor to consider when deciding which aspects of the program matter to your travel plans. A previous edition also included traditional competitions in weaving Mathoe robes. Alongside the balloon competitions, textile crafts are therefore another of the festival’s described themes. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the dates for the edition you want to attend in advance.

Pagodas: Architectural History and Views

Sulamuni Pagoda is a large white stupa. It was built in 1994 to mark the city’s centenary and modeled on Ananda Pagoda in Bagan. Its architectural form, the occasion for its construction and its inspiration are distinct aspects: the stupa describes its form, the city anniversary the reason it was built, and the pagoda in Bagan its model.

Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda offers wide-ranging views over the city and across the plains to Inlay Lake. The panorama takes in Taunggyi, the plains and the lake in a single sweep. In contrast to Sulamuni Pagoda, the focus here is on the views, while the latter stands out for its architectural form and history. You can therefore distinguish between the two pagodas according to your interest in landscapes or architecture.

Nature and Agriculture in the Wider Travel Region

In the wider travel region, the wetland ecosystem of Inlay Lake is home to 267 bird species, including 82 wetland bird species, as well as 43 freshwater fish species, otters and turtles. The 82 wetland bird species are a subset of the 267 bird species; fish and other animals add further groups to the picture. This biodiversity is a distinct regional focus alongside Taunggyi’s attractions.

Floating island cultivation by Intha farmers is also part of the Inlay Lake region. Locally, this practice is called “Yechan”; it is a form of hydroponics. Unlike the wetland species figures, Yechan draws attention to agriculture. For a trip that includes human practices as well as nature, these are two distinct themes of the wider region.

First consider whether Taunggyi itself or the wider travel region is your main focus; you can use this to guide your search.

Discover more destinations: Shwenyaung.

View the overview of the wider travel region: Shan State.