STORY: Myanmar's traditional Htamane festival celebrates generosity, unity
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 11, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 12, 2025
LENGTH: 00:04:19
LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar
CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Htamane-making competition

STORYLINE:

On Tuesday evening, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, was filled with excitement as 32 teams gathered for the annual Htamane-making competition.

The event was officially opened by Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein.

Now in its 17th year at the pagoda, this festival highlighted Myanmar's cultural and religious heritage. It brings people together to prepare Htamane, a cherished traditional glutinous rice dish of Myanmar.

Htamane, the festival's signature dish, is made with glutinous rice, sesame seeds, peanuts, coconut slices, and ginger.

Making Htamane is a detailed and labor-intensive process. The rice is soaked for hours while other ingredients are prepared. Ginger is fried in oil until fragrant, then the soaked rice is added.

The mixture is stirred continuously with water until it becomes thick and sticky. Once it reaches the right texture, roasted sesame seeds, peanuts, and coconut slices are mixed in, creating a rich, nutty, and slightly sweet dish.

Beyond the competition, the festival was a vibrant display of Myanmar's culture. Traditional music and dance performances, along the competition, were also included in the event.

The majority of people in Myanmar are Buddhists, and they are known for their tradition of charitable work. The traditional Htamane festival, a Buddhist festival, is celebrated around February, or around the full moon day of Tabodwe, the 11th month of the Myanmar lunar calendar.

This year, the full moon day falls on Feb. 12.
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yangon, Myanmar.
(XHTV)