Page 300 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

298 MANDALAY AND AROUND SHOPPING

FESTIVALS IN AND AROUND MANDALAY
Traditional festivals, known as pwè, take place throughout the year in Mandalay. The dates of
most pwè follow the lunar calendar, with exact dates varying from year to year – ask staff at
your hotel or guesthouse, or one of the city’s many motorbike taxi drivers, if there are any
happening during your stay. Pwè are incredibly noisy affairs, and some go on well into the
night – people have reported having to change hotels to get away from the din.
Mahamuni Paya Pwè Villagers from across the region descend in their thousands on the
Mahamuni Paya for this two-week festival, with umpteen shows every evening, including
music, dance and traditional anyeint. Usually early Feb.
Thingyan Water Festival Mandalay celebrations of this countrywide festival (see p.42) are as
riotous as you’d expect – expect to get totally drenched. Mid-April.
Sand Stupa Festival Large sand stupas are erected over the course of a single night in three
different locations around Mandalay. Usually May.
Shwe Kyun Pin Nat Pwè Hundreds of colourfully dressed farmers driving elaborately
decorated bullock carts congregate at nearby Mingun (see p.307) to celebrate a brother and
7 sister who drowned in the river and were transformed into nats. Usually July.
Taungbyone Nat Pwè Held in the town of Taungbyone, around 18km north of Mandalay,
this huge event is one of Myanmar’s most famous nat pwè (see box, p.41). The nat pwè honours
two brothers, Min Gyi and Min Lay (see p.230), who assumed supernatural powers after eating
the body of a dead zawgyi (magician) – although for most of the thousands attending it’s
mainly an excuse for manic eating, dancing and partying. July/Aug.
Yadanagu Nat Pwè The week after Taungbyone’s pwè, the circus moves south to Amarapura
to honour Mai Wunna, the brothers’ mother (see box, p.230). Usually Aug.
Thadingyut Festival Central Mandalay’s largest festival, part of the countrywide celebrations
marking the end of Buddhist Lent. One week, usually early Oct.
Irrawaddy Literary Festival Wirrawaddylitfest.com. Myanmar’s leading literary festival,
established in 2013 and attracting leading local and international authors. Three days in Nov.

light-hearted, and even rather funny in places. Do, Moustache Brothers 39th St, between 80th and 81st
however, try to read the programme before the lights go sts T09 4303 4220, Ebosoeoo@gmail.com. The only
down – you’ll be a little lost otherwise. Daily 8.30pm; chance you’re likely to get to experience anyeint, a
tickets $8. traditional form of comedy combining political satire and
Mintha Theater 58th St, between 29th and 30th sts broad slapstick, delivered in a mix of Burmese and English.
T09 680 3607, Wminthatheater.com. A great Two of the brothers, Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw, served six
opportunity to see traditional dance with extravagant years’ hard labour after making jokes about the regime in
costumes, accompanied by live music, with ten different 1996 (see box, p.297), and this context is reason enough to
performances packed into the show. Daily 8.30pm; tickets attend even if the jokes don’t always hit the mark. Daily
K14,000. 8.30pm; tickets K10,000.
SHOPPING
Pretty much all of the gold leaf applied to Buddha images by devotees in Myanmar comes from a small area of Mandalay.
There are about fifty gold-leaf workshops across the city, many of them based in homes in the blocks around 36th St, just
east of the railway line. Mandalay is also famed for the production of wonderful tapestries, most of which depict scenes
from the Jataka stories. Sadly, despite the many handicrafts produced in the city, there are very few places to buy them,
and you’re much better off shopping for souvenirs in Yangon or Bagan.

Jade Market Between 86/87th and 38/41st sts; map strategy. It also helps to do some research first if you’re a
pp.282–283. Myanmar’s jade-mining industry has long- jade novice so you know what you’re looking for. Daily
standing ties with the military regime and is responsible 8.30am–5.30pm.
for widespread exploitation, corruption and other abuses, ★ King Galon 36th St, between 77th and 78th sts
meaning that this is one local trade you might prefer not to T02 32135; map pp.282–283. The most tourist-friendly
support. If you do decide to buy, the first prices quoted are of the various gold-pounders’ workshops on 36th St, with
likely to be rip-offs, although you should be able to haggle visitors welcome to look around and no pressure to buy. The
these down as part of a “look, I’m really walking away” shop stocks a wide selection of Bagan lacquerware with