Celebrated for 1 day usually on the first week of January

This festival is celebrated by the Kachin people, one of the major races in the country. Kachins from all over the world travel all the way back to Myanmar only to attend this festival and meet their families and friends. The festival is held at Myintkyina, the capital of Kachin State. In this festival, the Kachins perform the Manaw dance – a dance that was part of the Nat (spirit worship) many years ago. During the performance, Manaw poles decorated with intricate and beautiful designs are placed in the middle of the area where the festival takes place. The people dance around the Manaw poles in colourful traditional dresses to celebrate the New Year. Tourists are usually invited to join the locals in enjoying the joyous dance of the festival.