Kaw Gon Cave

Kawgon Cave - Kogun Cave


Useful Information

Location: Southwest of Hpa-An.
Follow AH1 to the south along the river, turn right on AH1 across Thanlwin Bridge. On the other side turn left and follow road along the river. Turn right on dirt road to the cave.
(16.822966, 97.585856)
Open: All year daily 8-18.
[2020]
Fee: Adults MMK 3,000.
[2020]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave SubterraneaCave Church
Light: n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Major Richard Carmac Temple (1894): Notes on Antiquities in Ramannadesa (The Talaing Country of Burma) Education Society's Stream Press, Bombay, India, 1894.
Address: Kaw Gon Cave, Hpa-An, Tel: +95-9-971-113363.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

1826 John Crawfurd the first European to visit the cave.
1835 visited by Howard Malcom and Father Judson.
1892 visited by Then Taw Sein Ko.
APR-1892 visited by Major Richard Carmac Temple and Friedrich Oscar Oertel.
1897 visited by G.W. Birds.
1902 visited by Scott O’Conor.

Description

The Kaw Gon Cave is the most overwhelming of all cave temples in the area. It is not simply a natural cave with numerous statues, the cave walls were almost completely covered by paintings and reliefs. Row over rows of small buddhas along the wall. You either hate it or love it.

Many travelers visited Kaw Gon Cave in the 19th century, when it was called Kogun Cave. The arts of Kogun Cave was dated to around the 7th century, however few studies have been made thus far.