The market is called "5-Day-Market" because the local people rotate between 5 different locations over a 5-day-period.
| A | B | C | D | E |
| Heho | Taungyi | Pwe Ha – Pindaya | Shwe Nyaung | Nyaung Shwe |
| Kyone – Pindaya | Aungban | Taungni – Aungban | Kalaw | Pindaya |
| Taung Tho – Inle lake | Inle floating market | Mine Thauk – Inle lake | Khaungdaing – Inle Lake | Kakku – Taungyi |
| Loikaw | Phaung Daw Oo – Inle Lake | Indein – Inle lake | Nampan – Inle lake |
Locals will be in a fixed place in a determined day. People from all over the lake and surrounding areas will flock to this place to buy produce and other items. They come by boat. Parking is scarce but somehow everyone can manage to find their way in. Trading is conducted from small boats as well.
Owning to Inle lake covering in a vast area of 116 km2, 5-day-market system is an useful innovation to give equal chances to the widely spread villages that are able to attend in a common local market. However, the real meaning of this special market is based on the former history. Shan state had many Shan princes. Therefore, the 5-day-marrket would allow all Shan princes to collect taxes rather than just one. Depending on which area the market took place, one or some of Shan princes who ruled the area would gather taxes.
Today, although Shan princes are no longer, 5-day-market system still prevails, creating an unique culture point in a Myanmar tour.
In the 5-day-market, the assortment of vegetables is amazing, from tomatoes, eggplants, scallions, peppers, betel, beans, garlic to cheroots. There are some people selling lacquerware, Buddha statues, carvings, longyis, Shan bags, textiles, ornamental objects and other hand-made goods for both local use and trading. It will be very interesting to get in the market in early morning.
The 5-day rotating markets around Inle Lake offers a great opportunity to meet many different local tribes like Intha, long-neck Padaung and Pa-O. Numerous different hill tribes descend from their mountain houses to join in this colorful congregation. Every group has their own religion, culture, language, and way of trading. But they still attain a same voice via the national language, Burmese. Coming to this local market is to observe how they trade and discover original cultural points.
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