Overview
- The Thingyan water festival, which marks Myanmar’s Buddhist New Year, began in full on Tuesday and is the first held since authorities declared a transfer to civilian rule after an election that produced a pro‑military government.
- Traditional dance troupes performed in front of Yangon City Hall as crowds splashed water and played music, according to reports from the city.
- Celebrations were described as nationwide, with large turnouts returning to central venues that had seen thinner public events in recent years.
- Attendees said they felt able to rejoin public festivities after years of security concerns following the 2021 military coup.
- Kyodo News dispatches, republished by Japanese outlets including Nishinippon, Hokkaido Shimbun Digital, and Chunichi, noted that UNESCO listed Thingyan as intangible cultural heritage in December 2024 and that many events were curtailed last year after a deadly March earthquake.