TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei's Huaxin Street came alive Sunday as crowds gathered to celebrate Thingyan, the traditional Water Festival marking the Myanmar New Year.
Held annually in mid-April, the event symbolizes washing away misfortunes from the past year and praying for peace and prosperity in the year ahead. The celebration is especially significant in communities with roots in Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, where it is known as Songkran, per UDN.
KMT New Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), KMT Legislator Chang Chih-lun (張智倫), and New Taipei City Social Affairs Bureau Commissioner Lee Mei-chen (李美珍) were among the dignitaries attending the event. They greeted participants and joined blessing ceremonies, helping create a festive atmosphere.
Zhonghe's Huaxin Street, often referred to as "Little Burma," has been home to a large Burmese-Chinese community since the 1960s. Each year, the Water Festival draws crowds eager to take part in the tradition of splashing water to wash away bad luck.
This year's event featured participants using water guns and hoses to soak one another. At the same time, music and dancing transformed the street into a lively outdoor celebration filled with laughter and festive spirit.
Lee said he was pleased to attend the event again, noting he has participated many times in the past. He offered prayers for favorable weather, peace, and the public's health and well-being in the coming year, and thanked local groups for promoting multiculturalism and sustaining the festival's growth.
Chang said Huaxin Street is one of Taiwan's largest Burmese-Chinese communities and has long served as a hub for Southeast Asian culture and cuisine. He thanked both central and local governments for supporting the event, helping it become a representative cultural attraction.
He added that recent efforts by the central government, including the passage of legislation supporting new immigrants and plans to establish a dedicated development agency, aim to integrate resources in education, culture, and healthcare to better support immigrant communities.
Lee Mei-chen thanked the Myanmar Overseas Chinese Association for organizing the festival and for its ongoing community services, including programs for senior citizens and Mandarin-language support for new immigrants. She said such initiatives help immigrants integrate into local society and improve their quality of life.
She added that the city government will continue working with nongovernmental organizations to expand services for new immigrants, fostering an inclusive environment where diverse communities can live and thrive in Taiwan.
