21 February
A traditional egg-tapping game attracted visitors at the Zina Mhan Aung Lawka Chanthar Pagoda festival, which is being held in Sagaing from 18 to 20 February.
Visitors to the annual festival enjoyed the game in which two contestants tap boiled eggs against each other and the player who makes the rival’s egg crack is considered the winner. The winner also gets the losing player’s egg. If both eggs crack in the fight, the player whose egg is placed at the bottom is considered the winner.
Boiled duck eggs were sold with a price of K250 per unit to contestants.
The folk game can be seen only at the Zina Mhan Aung Lawka Chanthar Pagoda in Sagaing.
The festival aims to preserve the country’s intangible culture which is believed to date back to the time of Myanmar kings, said U San Tun, the chairman of the Dhamma Yakitha social team in Sagaing.
The festival is still popular today due to the game.
In their time, king’s servants played the egg-tapping game at night, and it soon became popular, he added.
The game is a part of the Buddha Pujaniya festival. Visitors also offered ration rice and offertories to Sanghas (Buddhist monks) as part of the festival.
— Ko Min (Indaw)
(Translated by Kyaw Zin Lin)
