MoRAC Union Minister joins virtual Puppet Festival of Lancang-Mekong

The opening ceremony of the Puppet Festival of Lancang-Mekong was virtually organized at Mya Nan Bon San Yadanabon Hall in Mandalay yesterday.
The ceremony was joined by Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Ko Ko, Mandalay Region Social Affairs Minister U Yin Htwe, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Chen Hai, officials of Foreign Affairs of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Committee, the Lancang-Mekong Puppet Festival Organizing Committee, Reactor, Pro-Rectors, faculty members of the National University of Arts and Culture (Mandalay), puppetry experts of Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam among others.
In his opening speech, Union Minister U Ko Ko said that along the Mekong-Lancang River basin, China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam have coexisted on the Mekong River and the interests of young people in the traditional puppetry industry, intengible cultural heritage of regional countries become lower. It also faces a lot of difficulties and it should share the puppetry techniques and conduct awareness programmes of traditions for the regional countries and youths.
Therefore, the Puppet Festival of Lancang-Mekong, including demonstration and paper-reading sessions, were organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture and the National University of Arts and Culture (Mandalay)on 30 and 31 March with six puppeteers from each of six Mekong-Lancang countries.
The puppet festival will improve trust among young artistes of Mekong-Lancang region countries, mutual respect, cooperation works and exchange of creative ideas.
Then, Mandalay Region Social Affairs Minister U Yin Htwe, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Chen Hai and officials of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Committee made greeting speeches.
The puppeteers entertained the Natkadaw (medium) dance, Zawgyi dance, marionette and man dance and yokethay dance with Lancang-Mekong honorary songs. Then, the marionette artists from the respective countries explored the techniques and read the papers.
The second day of the Puppet Festival of Lancang-Mekong will be held on 31 March. — MNA