Taunggyi is 17 miles/27 kilometers or an hour’s bus ride from Nyaung Shwe and 1,800 feet/550 meters above Inlay Lake. Taunggyi is the name of both ‘Taunggyi’ or ‘High Mountain’ and the administrative capital of the Southern Shan State, Taunggyi. The top of the pine covered ‘High Mountain’, approximately 6,000 feet/about 1,800 meters high, offers a beautiful panoramic view of picturesque Inlay Lake and its surroundings.

The town of Taunggyi was during the British colonial era the seat of the Shan parliament with its 36 Sawbaws and was founded by the respected British officer Sir James George Scott. James Scott was an expert on Burma and its history and the author of the famous book ‘The Burman-His Live and Notion’, which he wrote under his pseudonym U Shway Yoe.

Geographically, Taunggyi was in Yawnghwe State and, like Maymyo/Pyin Oo Lwin and Kalaw, was a hill station. It was built in 1896 to replace Fort Steadman. Once a year there was a Durbar at Taunggyi when British officers and Sawbaws met to discuss government business followed by an evening of social gathering. It was a place of rest for the British and other foreigners who came here to rest from the heat of other regions of the country.

Taunggyi is an active and enterprising city with only traces of its colonial past remaining. It is quite prosperous but otherwise not very conspicuous. For tourists, Taunggyi itself does not have much to offer and is therefore like Nyaung Shwe more of a starting point for excursions to the lake and its surrounding attractions than a place to stay longer. Its points of interest are just a few, namely the Taunggyi Market, the Taunggyi Museum and the ‘Wish Granting Pagoda’.

The five-day market in Taunggyi is quite an impressive affair. It is very native, as here the spectacle of the various hill tribes of the Shan Plateau are colorfully dressed in their traditional costumes and gather to chat, exchange the latest news and sell their agricultural products and other goods.

The Taunggyi Museum (Shan State Museum) is housed in a fairly modest and small building, but its exhibits are very interesting. For those who are interested in ethnology, this is the place to come. Among others, traditional costumes, tools, weapons, musical instruments, etc. are exhibited. from a large number of tribes and sub-tribes such as the Ahka, Tai, Kachin, Lisu, Latha, Yanglai, Palaung and Danu.

Located on top of a hill about 3 kilometres/1.9 miles south of Taunggyi is the ‘Wish Granting Pagoda’. This pagoda is very frequented by both Buddhists and superstitious people.

These people deeply believe that visiting this pagoda will result in what the name of the pagoda promises: that their wishes will come true, in other words, their dreams will come true. Well, it’s worth a try, but of course I can’t guarantee the result. However, what is certain is that the views over Taunggyi are very good from here.

Taunggyi also has some cigar factories.

If one cannot visit Inlay Lake during the Thadingyut Festival of Lights in late October, the time of the Tazaungdine Festival of Lights which takes place four weeks later is the best time to come to Taunggyi. The four weeks between these two Festivals of Lights are called ‘Kathein’ and it is the period during which Buddhists donate new robes: the ‘Kathein Thingan’ (those who can afford it donate the ‘Padonmar Kathein Thingan’, the robes made of lotus fiber yarn from the weavers in Chaing Kham), slippers, umbrellas, fans, water filters, etc.

The time of ‘Tazaungdine Full Moon’ is the time during Tazaungdine when the ‘Lu Ping Festival’ originated by the Pa-O takes place. This festival is marked by day and night hot air balloon contests. The balloons that their creators put a lot of time and money into building are huge (a few meters in height, width and diameter) and are for daytime competition mostly made in the form of religious buildings such as pagodas or animals both real and mythical. such as Hintha birds, dragons, horses and elephants. These hot air balloons are very impressive, no doubt, but even more so are the balloons with hundreds of brightly lit candles from the nightly contests, which are mostly made in the form of balloons.

Combined with the groups of actresses and actors who represent the folk form of theatre, the ‘Anyein Pwe’ who deal with episodes of daily life, the groups of musicians and dancers who present dance theatre, called ‘Yein Pwe’, the numerous vendors selling toys, balloons, snacks and drinks and the overall cheerful and cheerful atmosphere, the Lu Pin festival is truly an event that is highly unlikely to be forgotten.