Shwe Indein Pagoda basks in the sun near Inle Lake.

JUNGLE stupas – the name given by my foreign guests for the ancient stupas of Indein, west of Inle Lake. Cracked and crumbling, the buildings of Shwe Indein Pagoda are, even for many of the local people of Shan State, undiscovered and mysterious.

Many visitors to the area are happy to visit the floating markets at Ywama and Nga Hpe Chaung (the jumping cat monastery), or just simply glide around on the lake. While there’s nothing wrong with limiting yourself to these sights, a trip to Inle is not quite complete without a visit to the “jungle stupas” at Shwe Indein Pagoda.

The starting point for the one-hour boat ride to Indein is Ywama village, which is close to the centre of Inle. From here a canal weaves its way through the jungle and overgrown vegetation. Exploring the secret jungle stupas is not just about visiting these ancient monuments. One of the pleasures is the experience of seeing everything on both shores of the canal from your boat. On one side, there is a school where children can be seen reciting their lessons to the tune of a rhyme. Opposite, rows of small clay bricks have been laid out to dry in the sun along the creek bed. Water buffaloes bathe while women from the local village wash clothes nearby and a group of strong men pull a large log down to the creek. Many huts along the shore are built of homemade bricks, slapped together with untidy mud mortar.

A small jetty welcomes visitors to Indein and this is where from small stalls the locals peddle their souvenirs. Bamboo hats, “Welcome to Inle” T-shirts, Shan-style bags and many other goodies can be bought there.

But, just a few steps ahead of this tourist trap, there’s a colourful market, where members of the national races groups come down from their mountain villages to sell their home-grown produce – tofu, bean paste, soy beans, fish and vegetables. Among the sellers the Pa-O women in their black robes stand out the most. A word of warning, though: This is a morning market so be sure to reach Indein before 12pm.

The walkway leading to the pagoda is lined by 403 tall pillars with a roof of zinc sheets. Naturally, there are also souvenir sellers along the stairways, which puts off many tourists. However, we managed to find another smaller, less-worn path up the hill, which we took while the sellers tried to tempt us back to their stalls with warnings of deadly snakes. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any snake-like creatures, not even an earthworm. I wouldn’t say there aren’t any snakes in the area, though, as the many ruined stupas, bushy trees and mounds of bricks would make perfect places for them to laze in the sun before sliding away when the day cools down.

The history of Shwe Indein Pagoda is still mysterious. There are no records in Myanmar history of their construction but perhaps some exist in Shan chronicles. One theory is that the Shwe Indein Pagoda complex was built by King Ashoka (304BC-232 BC) of what is now India’s Bihar State, after the death of Buddha Gautama. However, there is no archaeological evidence to support this and other accounts says a king in central Myanmar built the mysterious pagoda after returning from war in Ayutthaya.

Despite what I had told them, my guests were still surprised by the crumbling, weather beaten condition of the stupas and took many photos. But another German visitor in the group said the pagoda would not be interesting if they were completely renovated and said suggested that conservation measures should be undertaken in consultation with people in the tourism industry.

Up on the hill, there are rather new, recently-donated stupas. From here there’s a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains, which gently slope down into the valley before colliding with Inle lake – the vista is certainly worth the walk, even if the newer pagodas aren’t.