Rih Lake – Burma’s Heart-Shaped Treasure

Myanmar is a magical land where is not only famous for the golden architectures and world heritage sites but also rich in the natural lakes such as Inle Lake, Inya Lake, Inn Daw Gyi Lake, Rih Lake, and Taung Tha Man Inn, etc. Among them, Rih Lake is one of the most unspoiled lakes which is quite pristine because it is a new tourist attraction to visit in a Buma tour.

Rih Lake – A lovely heart-shaped lake

Situated at Re DawKhar city, near Myanmar-India border and 46 miles away from Pha Lan city of Chin State, Rhi Lake is a heart-shaped lake surrounded by mountains with the height of 2966 feet of sea level, the length of one mile and half a mile in width. This pretty small lake has a huge meaning for Mizo people who live on both sides of the border. It has a tranquil and beautiful setting: evergreen rice paddies and forested hills surround a deep blue lake. The lake has its high degree of isolation and is a major pilgrimage site for the Mizo not only in Chin State but also in the Mizoram State of India; additionally, it is also a most-liked place to hang out for people who live nearby, they can come to swim, drink or have fun at weekends. During the week, the lake is much more tranquil and serene, an ideal place to relax, immerse in nature and escape from the hustle and bustle of cities.
Maybe the roads are rarely concreted and have lengthy delays that create the quality of patience which becomes a virtue in northern Chin State. The only way to reach Rihkhawdar, the closest town to Rih Lake, is via Tiddim, which is accessed either from Kalawmyo in northern Sagaing State or from Hakha, the Chin Capital and the journey takes 4 hours. Buses from Kalaymyo to Rihkhawdar are also offered but nine consecutive hours of jolts and jerks mountain roads are not comfortable at all. Remember that you need to bring a dust mask if you traveling in the dry season since the roads are quite dusty.

The same as many other border towns, multilingual, cross-boundaries chaos and diverse residents are shaped in Rihkhawdar, many of them belong to Indian or Chinese descent and Mizo is used as the local language.
The solely Rihkhawdar guesthouse in which the foreigners are allowed to stay in the clean and comfortable Rih Shwe Pyi. To get there, tourists need to walk up to a hill with many struggles; however, the journey back toward the downhill will offer some lovely sights to contemplate.

Rih Lake – A mythical place

Rih Lake situated in 545 acres of protected public forest and is home to a wide range of colorful and attractive birds. It is said that the name “Rih” derives from a famous Mizo folktale. Rih-I had a younger sister who was murdered by her father on their stepmother’s request and she was only raised from the dead by spiritual succor with a magical spell. After that, Rih-I used the same incantation to turn herself into the water and became Rih Lake. In spite of the fact that the Mizo have largely changed into Christians, Rih Lake is part of their time-honored animist traditions – the entrance to the Mizo version of paradise, known as Piairal, through which all the dead must pass to reach their everlasting home. At the present time, the notion of Piairal has been mingled with the Christian thought of heaven, permitting Rih Lake’s mystical status to continue.

Rih Lake – A Favorite Spot

While Bungtla Waterfall is regarded as part of the God-given heritage by Chin communities in Matupi, Rih Lake represents the huge spiritual significance for Mizo. According to ancient tradition, Rih Lake is an entrance to Piairal – the Mizo version of heaven. Despite both Chin and Mizoram were heavily targeted by Christian missionaries, Rih Lake remains its mythical status through the syncretism of Piairal with Christian paradise. The lake is a most-liked site to take a religious journey for Indian and Myanmar Mizo.
Today, Rih Lake is a best-loved spot to hang out for local people with the enchanting lakeside restaurant. The tourists can take pleasure in the cool fresh water, visit Indian school class and have unforgettable memories with teachers as well as students there.
When heading to a nearby hill that overlooks the lake and whose hilltop is occupied by a Tatmadaw station, the visitor will have the opportunities to taste a cup of army tea – an instant tea mix made exclusively for the Tatmadaw which they are highly proud of. The views from up here are breathtaking, you can catch a sight of the whole heart-shaped lake surrounded by forested hills from the high attitude which will definitely please you.

Best time to visit Rih Lake

The best time to visit Rih Lake is in the monsoon when the lake is encircled by mesmerizing, evergreen rice paddies which creates a romantic love story in the eyes of tourists. However, you should take the decision of taking a trip to Chin State in monsoon into consideration since the area becomes susceptible to landslides and the mountain roads become muddy and bumpy.