The floating Thingyan festival of Inlay will be held again this year, according to the Union of Myanmar Travel Association-UMTA.
The floating Thingyan festival will take place on the water near Nan Pan Village of Inlay Region in Nyaung Shwe Township, Shan State (South), where people splash water from boats and rafts. Programmes such as Myanmar traditional Thingyan dances and traditional ethnic dance competitions will also be included. The festival will last from Thingyan Akyo Nay (the eve of Thingyan) to Myanmar New Year’s Day.
The Inlay floating water festival was held for the first time in 2019, and many domestic and foreign tourists came to enjoy it. This year’s festival will be the first time to be held after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Floating Thingyan Festival is held in Inlay to preserve and promote Inlay’s traditional floating Thingyan tradition and to create an atmosphere of friendship among the local national races.
The inflow of domestic and foreign tourists to the Inlay area is low currently. The floating Thingyan may be crowded, but visitors may be lower than before, the UMTA predicted.
In addition to the floating Thingyan, the annual floating alms offering is also held from the eve of Thingyan to the first day of Myanmar New Year. — TWA/CT
