There is a well-known fact as Myanmar people have a penchant for festivals. There were two events now to enjoy apart from the usual Christmas festival in December.
Mingalarbar
Marking the 55th year of the cultural relations between Myanmar and France, the French Institute and Yangon Region Government jointly organized Mingalabar, a multidisciplinary festival in Yangon. The three days festival (from December 2 to December 4) brought artists, puppets, an outdoor circus and live performances from France together with local artists (in total over 100) to entertain the public more than a dozen locations around Yangon.
During the festival, the two giant puppets (8 meter high) were paraded around the city accompanied by street performers. The public enjoyed the performances and live shows including circus, concerts, street art, video mapping, firework and dance presented by a hundreds of French and Myanmar artists. The festival aims to raise public awareness on urban planning as well as the role of culture and artists in the urban development of a city.
The Yangon Living Street Experience
The Yangon Living Street Experience, held on weekend (December 10 and December 11) also welcomed the thousands of visitors. The two days event is organized by Yangon Region Government, Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A variety of activities celebrated such as traditional dance and music shows by professionals and students from National University of Arts and Culture, traditional lacquer ware, paintings, drawings, textiles, wood products and handicraft shops with demonstration on the street of Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street in Kyauktada Township. During the event, cars are not allowed to enter in the venue as it becomes “Car Free Streets” for providing pedestrians a public space. Exhibition on heritage buildings, history of Yangon city was presented by architect students from Western Technological University and Thanlyin Technological University with the cooperation of Yangon Heritage Trust. Moreover, knowledgeable young guides from these University and Yangon Technological University took the visitors to historic sites in the event area.
The objectives of the event are to reconsider the amenity of pedestrian space, to envision the attractive future cityscape and to revalue the heritage buildings in downtown of Yangon.
