Kandawgyi Park in downtown Yangon will stay open from 5am to 10pm during the Thingyan holiday period. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

THINGYAN is a special time for all Myanmar people and allows everyone the chance to relax and have some fun. But for people who have small children or do not like crowds, visiting the many pandals can be difficult.

At noon most pandals close down for a break and the crowds head to recreation centres and parks everywhere to relax, eat some food and prepare for a busy afternoon of touring around the pandals.

The managers of many recreation centres and parks in Yangon said their facilities would remain open to the public for Thingyan revellers and others to come and rest during the festival.

“I never go back home after touring in the morning. We usually just go to the parks. They are really convenient for us because there are traffic jams almost everywhere else and it's very hard to just go home,” said Maung Sai Myat Thu.
And the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) has recognised that revellers need a place to cool off during lunch.

“During this period, all recreation centres under the YCDC will be open,” said U Nyunt Pe, head of Playgrounds, Parks and Gardens Department under the YCDC.

The centres that will stay open include Shwe Tadar Oo Yin and Thit Taw Zone in Kandawgyi Park; Shu Khin Thar; Kandaw Mingalar; People’s Park and People’s Square and Maha Bandoola Garden in downtown Yangon.

But most private recreation parks will be closed during the festival, except those under the control of the YCDC.

One section of Kandawgyi Park – Karaweik Oo Yin Kabar – will be open from 5pm to 10pm for the holiday period.

“We hope that people who stay at home during the day will come and relax in the evening during the festival. They can also enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and entertainment of the park at night,” said Ma Zar Zar Lwin Tun, spokesperson for Karaweik Oo Yin Kabar.

Many amusement parks will be closed during Thingyan.

U Myint Oo, one manager at Mya Kyun Tha amusement park, explained why it had to close during the festival.

“As the playground facilities require electricity, it can be very dangerous to our visitors who are in wet clothes.”

One of the amusement zones, Happy World amusement park, has arranged special programs to run during the holiday period.

“We are going to have games and funfairs for visitors in three branches of our amusement parks,” said U Tin Maung Win, assistant manager of Happy World.
Inya Lake, where many people go to walk and relax, will also be open.

“The banks of the lake will be accessible during Thingyan, although the food stalls are going to be closed,” said U Nyunt Pe.

And some centres raise their costs of admission during the festival to cover higher expenses.

“The number of visitors who come to our park during the holiday is triple what we normally see, so we have to increase the number of the security people and must hire extra garbage collectors too,” said a spokesperson for Shwe Tadar Oo Yin (Golden Bridge Garden) of Kandawgyi Natural Park.