Customs Hill (Akauk Taung) is an area along the Ayeyarwaddy River where, during the 19th century, dozens of Buddha images were carved into the cliff walls overlooking the waterway.
According to local lore, the carvings were made by tax collectors as they waited to levy tariffs from passing boats (thus the name Customs Hill).
But U Kyaw Min Hlaing, an executive member of UMTA, has a different explanation.
“In the past, many boatmen were engaged in trade between lower and upper Myanmar. Their boats were powered by the wind, and they sometimes stopped at Customs Hill to wait for the wind to pick up. While they waited, they carved Buddha images into the stone walls,” he said.
The carvings are still there for everyone to see and are “very attractive to both tourists and locals”, he said.
The cliffs at Customs Hill are topped by a pagoda and monastery complex, and U Kyaw Min Hlaing said the UMTA has surveyed the area to prepare for the influx of tourists that is now occurring.
“When new places become popular with tourists, we need to prepare differently for foreign and local visitors,” he said. “Locals can spend the night at the monastery, but foreigners are not allowed to stay there, so for tours we arrange a budget hotel in Pyay.”
Customs Hill is reached via a two-hour drive from Pyay, followed by a 45-minute boat ride from Htone Bo village. From the boat, travellers can “take scenic photos along the river”, U Kyaw Min Hlaing said.
He said that expanding tourism to previously unpopular destinations can help local businesses and is also attractive for tourists who want to get off the beaten track.
U Than Htay from Than Htay and Brothers pilgrimage tour company said that interest in travelling to Customs Hill has exploded in the past year, and his company is making plans to increase the number of tours to the area.
“The Buddha images on stone cliffs at Customs Hill are very attractive, and once you reach it you can also see a waterfall and cave, so now we’re conducting surveys to make betters plan for visiting there,” said U Than Htay.
U Hla Aye, managing director of Shan Yoma travel company, said he has arranged visits to Customs Hill at the request of his customers.
“Tourists who visit Myanmar for the first time go to the usual places” such as Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan, but those returning for a second time ask for suggestions for different places to visit.
“We send them to destinations like Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Golden Rock Pagoda and Customs Hill,” he said.
Despite its increased popularity, however, Customs Hill still presents challenges for visitors, he said.
“Customs Hill is a bit difficult because tourists can’t reach Pyay by air, so only those willing to travel overland can visit.”
source: The Myanmar Times
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