| Ideal capital of the eastern region of the Shan State, close to the famous golden triangle and has only recently been opened to tourists is Kyaing Tong, the historic centre for the state’s Khun culture. Its main attractions are its isolation and the warm hospitality offered by the Shan people to the few tourists that visit them. The over 30 monasteries called WAT as in Thailand are perfectly kept and decorated together with the HAW ancient royal palaces and the untouched greenery of the natural gardens. Most striking is the pleasant reception of the Wa, Shan, Akha and Lahu ethnical minorities living in the surrounding villages. Built around a small lake, and dotted with aging Buddhist temples and crumbling British colonial architecture, Kengtung is probably the most scenic town in the Shan State. |
