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Nederlands (nl-NL) Unveil the mysteries of Inle Lake in less than 7 minutes! Immerse yourself in a world of aquatic acrobatics with our extraordinary fishermen, marvel at the splendor of the floating gardens, and admire the majestic statue of the karaweik dancing on the waters. This immersion in the heart of Myanmar is offered to you on video, accompanied by a fascinating story to understand the cultural context of this magical place. Don't miss this visual and educational getaway: Southeast Asia in all its splendor, between tradition and poetry, is waiting for you. Inle Lake, a journey for the eyes and the mind!
This film was made on the basis of photos and videos taken during the trip Myanmar • Burma (EN)
A click on this icon above displays the list of chapters of this film about Myanmar. A click on a dot goes directly to a chapter.
Reading the text below will help you better understand the cultural context of the images in this video.
Chapters:
00:44 • Traditional fishermen
03:25 • floating gardens
06:04 • karaweik statue
Inle Lake
Shallow, Inle Lake located in Shan State in Myanmar is a freshwater lake with an area of nearly 120 kilometers, making it the second largest in the country. The shallow depth of this lake, between 2 and 4 meters outside the rainy season when the depth can increase by 1.5 meters, has favored the appearance of floating plants on its surface.
Floating gardens
Thus, the inhabitants of the banks of the lake have developed a whole system of floating gardens, allowing the cultivation of all kinds of vegetables, in particular tomatoes. These floating gardens provide a livelihood for local farmers and most are self-sufficient.
Water hyacinth
However, other plants, much less desirable, also proliferate there. The water hyacinth, an extremely invasive plant since it can grow several meters per day ..., threatening the biodiversity of the lake by suffocating other species and forming large plant mats preventing light from entering the lower layers of the lake. Lake. This plant native to South America knows very few predators. In South America, manatees are fond of it, limiting their growth, but in all other areas where it has been introduced, it has become a real plague.
Traditional fishing
The fishermen of Inle Lake have developed an original fishing technique. On their small, flat-bottomed boats, they use their conical-shaped fishing nets, wielding the oar with their feet while their arms control the net. This traditional fishing is however no longer practiced nowadays except for tourists, allowing them to take magnificent photos. The tourist attraction of the lake has multiplied the number of small motor boats on its surface and scare away a large part of the fish, hampered by the noise and vibrations in this shallow lake.
Karaweik
The karaweik is a mythical bird of the Hindu and then Buddhist cosmogony. If originally this bird was considered evil, Buddha succeeded in converting it and since then he has helped to protect his teachings. Burmese karaweik is the equivalent of garuda in other Buddhist regions. A golden statue of this mythical bird has been placed near a bank on Inle Lake.
about the place, Lac Inle:
Inle Lake is the second largest in the country by area and is approximately 116 square km. The lake is shallow.
Inle Lake is largely covered by floating plantations and traditional fishermen use their own technique to cast their cone-shaped nets.
It is one of the tourist highlights of Myanmar.
Spoken comments in the film:
The fishermen of Inle Lake are famous for their sense of balance on their flat-bottomed boats, using their legs to handle the net and steer the boat.
But, as it is also the case in other places of the world, the perpetuation of this ancestral technique is today more intended to amuse the tourists than to fill the pan with fish. We can quibble about the moral side of this development, but if we replace the word "fisherman" by "artist" or "balancing act", it becomes easier to understand that these people need to find a way to make a living. So, we might as well do it aesthetically ... which allows us to take beautiful shots.
In any case, the massive arrival of tourists in recent years has massively eliminated the fish ...
That said, there are still traditional fishermen, but far from the tourist areas of the lake, since the fish do not adapt well to the noise of the engine of the many boats that ply a large part of this endearing lake.
But it is not only fishing and nautical balancing to ensure the income of the inhabitants of Inle Lake.
Farmers too have been imaginative for a long time. Living on water, they have little cultivable land.
Never mind ... They created agricultural plots floating on the water.
In these floating gardens, they mainly cultivate tomatoes which are sold all over Myanmar. But other vegetables are also cultivated, such as beans, cucumbers or eggplants.
But how to evoke Inle Lake without showing the karaweik, a mythical bird which is to Burma what the garuda is to Indonesia.
Music:
- YouTube video library - A Fallen Cowboy
- YouTube video library - Beijaflor
Disclaimer: Despite its appropriateness, copyright issues prevent the use of burmese traditional music in "Inle Lake, on the water • Myanmar ", hence the use of royalty-free music. Despite our careful selection, some might regret this decision, which is necessary to avoid potential lawsuits. Although difficult, this decision is the only viable solution.
