SINCE the onset of the Myanmar Cultural Heritage Trust, it has managed to conduct the Ata Thingyan Festival eight times in cooperation with its partner civil society organizations, according to Chairperson Daw Sanda Khin of the trust.
Students and individuals who should attend were invited to study these festival events.
“Thingyan festivals have been held in a community-based manner. Our teams in the whole country held in their respective region, state, township, ward, street and group. In local events, foreigners joined in and celebrated with great joy, and we heard that even Myanmar people abroad didn’t forget to hold this festival. All the citizens in that foreign country were interested. That's why this heritage is deservedly recognized as the first intangible cultural heritage,” she said at the press conference at the Sein Lan Soe Pyay Garden in Kamayut Township at noon on 10 December.
“In addition, the fact that our Thingyan is full of essence and unique is undeniable, so UNESCO accepted the nomination. Other factors that all Myanmar people take proud value in it and all the people regardless of age, sex and ethnicity participate in Thingyan are very powerful conditions for being recognized as a world heritage,” she elaborated. — MT/ZN
