Another fantastic article and photo collection from AlJazeera: Myanmar’s dazzling and dangerous festival of lights
The fireworks festival celebrating end of rains. High on the plateau of Myanmar’s Shan State – a region rife with insurgency and rich in ethnic diversity – the sky explodes in a galactic display of handmade fireworks as they are launched clinging to the base of paper hot-air balloons.
Drawing tens of thousands of people from all around Myanmar to the western town of Taunggyi, the Tazaungdaing Festival of Lights is held each year at the end of the rainy season, around the time the moon is full.
Hundreds of 7 to 9 meters high hot-air balloons with fireworks and candles strapped to the bases are launched skyward in what is considered to be one of the most beautiful festivals in Southeast Asia.
The explosive-laden hot-air balloons regularly crash onto the festival grounds, causing panic below as hundreds of people celebrating.
Aside from these massive ornamental balloons, there are also elements of the lights festival that make it one of the most peculiar events in the region such as man-powered ferry wheels, curious carnival games and animal shows.
Fifteen balloons made it to the final competition.
