13 October
THE residents of Yenangyoung Township, Magway region, purchased colourful lanterns during the Thadingyut festival, and the lanterns to be selling well in the local market, said Ko Mya Twin, a lantern seller.
The Thadingyut festival, the lighting festival of Myanmar, is held on the full moon of the Myanmar Lunar month of Thadingyut. During the lighting festival, people hang colourful lanterns in their homes.
Traditional lanterns are made from coloured paper and bamboo. Ahead of the crafting process, lantern makers collect and trim bamboo. Then they bend it into shapes and affix paper to the bamboo structure. Skilled artisans can shape lanterns into elephants, peacocks or even airplanes. Paper lanterns made of bamboo are becoming rare.
Lantern makers earn a small profit by selling lanterns, because the lanterns’ water-proof papers are ordered from China. Lanterns are selling for between K1,500 and K 3,000 each, depending upon the size, design and cartoon patterns.
Hsan Nyount (Yenangyoung) (Translated by Hay Mar)