Intha

The Intha are an ethnic group native to the region around Inle Lake in Shan State, Myanmar. They live on and around the lake, often in villages built on stilts and interconnected by canals. The Intha are best known for leg-rowing, a distinctive method of propelling boats by wrapping one leg around a long oar, a technique that allows them to keep their hands free for fishing and managing nets.

The Intha practice Theravada Buddhism and maintain monasteries and pagodas around the lake area. Their villages feature traditional floating gardens, built from aquatic plants and soil carried in on boats, which are used to grow vegetables and to sustain the local diet. The language spoken by the Intha is Intha, a Tibeto-Burman language closely related to Burmese; many residents are also fluent in Burmese. The economy is primarily based on fishing, agriculture on the lake's floating gardens, and tourism, with visitors drawn to the lake's scenery and the leg-rowing display.

The Intha share cultural traits with neighboring groups, including Shan and Burman communities, but maintain distinct rituals, dress, and crafts. They are predominantly Theravada Buddhists, with a festival calendar that includes pagoda anniversaries and market days.