According to legend the lotus was the first flower to appear in the world.

It has been said the lotus is the perfect analogy of the human condition.  Every day this magnificent flower emerges from the muddy water and opens into a beautiful blossom.  Then each evening the petals close and the flower returns beneath the surface of the water.

For over 100 years residents of Inle Lake have been using fibers from the stems of the pink lotus to weave cloth.

Historically this fabric was used exclusively to make sacred garments for Buddhist monks in Burma.