Summer revellers flock to Dokhtawadi River for water play

Several hundred people come to the Dokhtawadi River near Taungkaing village in Mandalay Region’s Amarapura Township to enjoy water play in the river, trying to beat the summer heat, according to residents in the region.
The place is located on the bank of the Dokhtawadi River near Taungkaing village, which is about 45 minutes from Mandalay. Especially on weekends and public holidays, the number of visitors is between 300 and 400, and they come to enjoy water play. Most of the visitors are from Mandalay and nearby villages and towns.
“There are numerous people who come to take baths in the river in order to escape the summer heat. The number of visitors is larger on weekends and holidays. The summer is scorching, so they come to enjoy water playing in the river as an activity to beat the heat. We went there on 1 May, and the number of visitors is estimated to be around 400 on that day. There are visitors too on other days. Most of them are from Mandalay and nearby areas. As an activity to evade the heat, people go to other local beaches,” said a spokesperson from the Myanmar Rescue Organization (Mandalay Region Committee).
Along the river, the water is cold, and it is a mountain stream in which some parts are shallow and some parts are deep. Therefore, parents need to be careful if they bring children, he said. There are restaurants near the river, and people go boating along the river.
“There is no admission fee but a car parking charge,” said a resident.
This summer, people go to temperate destinations in an attempt to escape the heat. At the same time, some are eager to grow trees, and such activities have been recently discovered. — MT/ZS