UNESCO adds Myanmar’s Thingyan Festival to Intangible Cultural Heritage list

On March 24, 2023, a proposal regarding Myanmar’s New Year's Thingyan Festival was submitted to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee to be included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, Myanmar's Thingyan festival was officially included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List on December 5, when the 19th Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference held in Asuncion, Paraguay from December 2 to 7 officially decided on the proposal of the Myanmar Traditional New Year and Thingyan Festival submitted by Myanmar.

In addition to Myanmar's traditional Thingyan Festival, the conference will also include cultural heritages from 45 countries, such as China's Chinese New Year and Spring Festival and Thailand's Tom Yum soup, which have been approved, according to UNESCO.

In 2014, the Pyu ancient cities such as Beikthano, Hanlin, and Sri Ksetra were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites and in 2019, the Bagan was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the same way, the film Myaga Naing was also designated as a heritage of the Asia Pacific region by UNESCO in 2018.

The Myanmar traditional Thingyan, which will be designated as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage, is the result of the Sanskrit rhyme and the Burmese word Thingyan. The interpretation of Sankanta is conversion and is called arriving from one place to another.

During Thingyan, some practice fasting and worship the Dhamma as well as those who play the water.

They refrain from splashing water on pregnant women, employees on duty and religious persons (monks, nuns, fasting people), which is a lovely way to celebrate the Thingyan Festival at the present time.

According to historical records, the Thingyan Festival has been celebrated since the Bagan period.

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Asia News Network