Spectacular Myanmar lake festival resumes after three years

Inntha ethnic people row their boats during traditional boats racing competition to mark the pagoda festival Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Inlay Lake, southern Shan State, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

INLE LAKE, Myanmar (AP):One of the most colorful festivals in the South-East Asian nation of Myanmar, involving scores of rowed boats and a spectacular gold-gilded barge, is being celebrated this month after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic and violent political instability.

The venue is Inle Lake in southern Shan state, about 420 kilometers (260 miles) northeast of Yangon. Inle, the country’s second largest freshwater lake and a popular tourist attraction year-round, is famous for its fishermen from the Intha ethnic minority who practice a unique style of rowing while standing with one leg wrapped around a single oar.