Myanmar holds official lantern festival at ancient temples in Bagan

Thousands of people gathered in Bagan from 25 to 27 October to celebrate Thadingyut, the Festival of Lights in Myanmar. Euronews reported that devotees travelled from across the country to pray, make offerings, and participate in the three-day festival, which marks the end of Buddhist Lent. [1]

Families released paper lanterns into the night sky over the ancient pagodas. For the first time, tourism authorities under the military government organised an official Sky Lantern Festival at the site. Euronews reported that around 1,000 lanterns were released each evening to attract visitors. [1]

Bagan is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the city served as the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, which was the first kingdom to unify the region. During its height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed, and the remains of over 2,300 structures survive today. [1][3]

The archaeological site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. It continues to function as a active sacred landscape where ancient monuments coexist with ongoing religious rituals and celebrations. [1][5]