PYIN OO LWIN, Myanmar —
Thousands of people have gathered in the hills of central
Myanmar for the
annual Tazaungdaing light festival, which marks the end of the rainy season
with a fiery night-time display of exploding hot-air balloons.
اضافة اعلان
The
celebrations in the former British hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin have not been
held for two years because of the COVID pandemic and unrest following a
military coup.
But on Sunday night, rival teams began launching
76 aerial artistic creations, competing for marks in aesthetics, teamwork,
height reached, and time spent in the air.
The balloons were propelled upwards about 100
meters above ground using the heat from a fire, then fireworks within the
balloons exploded in a spectacular burst of lights across the inky sky.
The festivities are a rare respite from the
economic misery and violence wracking much of the country, almost two years
after the military’s power-grab.
“We are holding our festival here, but we are
sorry for what is happening elsewhere,” said Aung Myat Thu, 37, who spent
months working with friends on a balloon. “When we were preparing for the
competition, we all worked alongside our worries.”
The hot-air balloons featured an array of
artwork, from images of Buddha to traditional motifs, with one designed in the
shape of a polar bear.
Some of the participants attached dozens of red,
white, and yellow candles to their balloons before releasing them into the
chilly night air, to huge cheers. Crowds ambled between stalls at a temporary
fairground while traditional dancers performed.
While the Tazaungdaing tradition is rooted in
Buddhism, the hot-air balloon contest was started by British colonialists in
the late 19th century.
Previous editions have drawn tens of thousands of
local and foreign visitors, attracted by the color — and danger — of the
gathering. The balloons are loaded with fireworks, and any miscalculation of
the timing of lighting the rockets can result in catastrophe. In 2014, three
people were killed at Tazaungdaing celebrations in Taunggyi in neighboring Shan
state when a balloon crashed onto spectators below.
Tin Mar Lwin, 41, was beaming on Sunday night
after sending off her balloon, which was decorated with a huge red and gold
Buddha seated on a lotus leaf.
“I want the situation to be stable like this,”
she told AFP. “I want peace. I’m hoping for it. I’m happy coming to this
event.”
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