The Myanmar delegation who helped Myanmar’s traditional Thingyan Festival to be included in UNESCO’s World Intangible Cultural Heritage List, arrived back at Yangon International Airport on December 10 , and the delegation was cordially greeted by a large number of people at the airport.
Myanmar’s Traditional Thingyan Festival has been included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List at the UNESCO’s 19th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Asuncion, Paraguay, on December 5.
An official decision was made at the event to include Myanmar’s Thingyan Festival in the list with a certificate of recognition. It is the first for Myanmar to mark that her traditional new year water festival could be added to the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Daw Sandar Khin, chairperson of the Myanmar Cultural Heritage Trust, told One News that the Myanmar Thingyan Festival could be included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List due to the strong desire and prayers of the entire country.An official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture said that they would continue to make efforts to have Myanmar’s Thanakha recognized as the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
As Myanmar’s Thingyan Festival has been included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the world can learn more about it, and such a recognition as UNESCO’s World Intangible Cultural Heritage list can be passed on to the next generation as well.
Furthermore, it will help increase the public’s awareness to preserve and hold Thingyan Festival traditionally, gain more experience and create more chances so that other Myanmar’s intangible cultural heritage could be submitted to the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
