Kawgunn Cave is situated in Kawgunn Village in the west bank of Thanlwin River, approximately eight miles of Hpa-an. The chronicle said in 419 M.E (AD-1057), King Anawrahta waged war against King Manuhā of Thaton on account of seizing Tipitaka. King Anawrahta took ex-king Manuhā, scholars, and Tipitaka to Bagan. Queen of Mottama, one of the queens of ex-king Manuhā, evacuated from Thaton and reached Kawgunn Cave. While the queen was hiding in this cave, she made the sculptors to sculpture Buddha images, and pagodas inside the cave. She not only sculptured Buddha images and built pagodas in this Kawgunn Cave but also in other caves nearby. The Kawgunn Cave is the one of most interesting caves in Kayin State.

The area of this cave is 80 feet in length and 40 feet in wide. The cave is facing east. It is one sided open cave and has sufficient light. A cliff is over-shielding from one side that it escapes from raining and wind. The entrance of the cave is 10 feet high from the ground. The votive tablets of 3" to 4" were attached on the walls of the entrance and outside of the cave. Moreover, the Buddha images of ten feet to 15 feet high in different styles and mudra were sculptured. The inscription and Buddha images found inside the cave are the concrete evidences of Buddhism. It is learned that Kawgunn Cave has been used as an edifice for Buddhism. The study of ancient sculptures in this cave show the civilization of mankind who had settled in Kayin State. It could also investigate how ancient settler in the Kayin State established city states, and they could perform and practice their beliefs and customs.

In 2008, Ministry of Culture announced the Kawgunn Cave as Ancient Monumental Zone and Protected and Preserved Zone in order to protect ancient cultural heritage in this cave.This ministry made its preservations and conservations by issuing orders and by chemical preservations, and by educating the local people in preservation and conservation by collaboration with administrative and security officials for the sustainable preservation and safeguarding of sculptures and cultural heritages in the Kawgunn Cave. The festival of Kawgunn Cave is annually held on New Year day of Myanmar Era. The Kawgunn Cave is existed as living museum to study sculptures of votive tablets, Buddha images and ancient art and architecture.