TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Burmese community based around Huaxin Street in New Taipei’s Zhonghe District organized an annual street party and water fight to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, which also marks the New Year in Myanmar. 

Huaxin Street was closed to vehicles on Sunday (April 21) as a crowd estimated to be around 3,000 people filled the area to enjoy tasty food, musical performances, and a giant water fight. Organizers said that the turnout for the celebration, known as Thingyan in Burmese, was larger than previous years, reported CNA.  

The holiday marking the birth of the Buddha occurs in the spring, but the exact date varies between cultures. In Myanmar and Southeast Asian nations, it is held around the third week of May. 

The traditional water fight grows from the ritual act of bathing the Buddha, which is accompanied by prayers for peace and purification. Getting soaked with water is a symbolic act of washing away the problems and stress of the previous year, to begin the new year with a fresh spirit and clean heart.  

In recent years, the water fight was excluded from the event’s activities due to concerns over water shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

However, the water fight returned this year, with adults and children joining the fray. Water balloons, squirt guns, buckets, and hoses were all used to beat the heat, while participants also enjoyed a day of community and religious tradition. 

A Taiwan-Myanmar exchange booth was also on-site to promote enhanced exchanges between Taiwan and Myanmar.