Kawgun Cave

Kawgun is a small limestone outcrop just over the river from Hpa-an off the Thaton Highway, and it is one of the region's most magnificent caves. The Kawgun caverns and limestone cliffs are lined with amazing Buddhist carvings and stucco work, which are thought to date back to the seventh century. A few ancient Hindu images survive, attesting to the region's historical religious pluralism. For the area's previous Mon occupants, this was formerly a sacred location. It houses a variety of seated and reclining Buddha figures, but the cavern's walls and roof, as well as the neighboring limestone cliffs, are alost entirely covered in red-painted stucco pictures.

Many of the carvings and stucco masterpieces are disintegrating in front of our eyes as not only the mortar but even the brittle limestone rocks themselves disintegrate. The stalactites clinging to the rock face and dripping with water during showers suggest that the entire site is still a work in progress. Kawgun cave is surrounded by a big Buddhist temple complex, and while there are a few snack and drink kiosks outside, be cautious because there is a large population of macaques!

Location: Hpa-An, Myanmar