Tazaungdaing hot-air balloon festival to be held in Taunggyi on 7 Nov

The hot-air balloon competitions will be held at the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing festival between 7 and 9 November, it is learnt.
Events of lights offering in dedication to the Buddha, robe-weaving competitions to weave special yellow robes called “Matho Thingan” and releasing hot-air balloons will be held on the terrace of the Culamuni Pagoda. Small balloons will be released at the Awaiya hot-air balloon square and there will be many stalls at the event.
Awards will be given to winners of daytime hot-air balloon-releasing competitions. The first prize, the second prize and the third prize will be K1 million, K0.5 million and K0.3 million respectively and five consolation prize winners will be given K0.2 million each.
It was mentioned in the announcement that those who want to compete in the hot-air balloon contest will have to register the balloon type at the respective township administrator or the Shan State Hot-Air Balloon Artistes’ Association not later than 5 November and that more than 50 hot-air balloons are in the list for the contest so far.
Though the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Festival is a famous event and also a big traditional one in Myanmar, it could not be held in 2020 and 2021 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only nine days of the festival period were allowed by the Shan State government due to the large number of balloons participating in the last festival held in 2019.
The Shan State Hot-Air Balloon Artistes’ Association announced that a total of 394 hot-air balloons were registered in the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing festival 2019. — TWA/GNLM