The swing-riding festival is celebrated to promote peace, unity, and food sufficiency, as well as to preserve their cultural heritage.
The swing-riding festival, a traditional celebration of the Akha people, was held in Kengtung Township, Shan State (East), on 30 August.
The Akha ethnic group has about twelve traditional festivals. Among these, the swing-riding festival, the Khar Htaung Festival, and the Red Egg Festival are particularly well-known. The Khar Htaung Festival marks the New Year, while the Red Egg Festival is a time when elders are honoured during the Thingyan Festival.
These festivals attract not only Akha people from Myanmar but also those from other countries.
As a hill tribe, the Akha people have engaged in farming for generations. The swing-riding festival is celebrated to promote peace, unity, and food sufficiency, as well as to preserve their cultural heritage.
Akha people primarily reside in the mountainous regions on the east bank of the Thanlwin River in the eastern part of Shan State, with a population of approximately 200,000. — ASH/TMT
