Photos: Colorful harvest festival in Myanmar bustles with visitors

9-day Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival draws crowds even before it officially begins.

By RFA Burmese

The colorful nine-day Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival in central Myanmar is alive with vendors and visitors for weeks before it opens on March 14.

The annual harvest celebration honors the Shwe Saryan Pagoda, built by Queen Saw Mon Hla during the Bagan era, which was between the 9th and 13th centuries.

Large crowds have been gathering in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, in the Mandalay region, making this one of the most vibrant celebrations in recent years.

Local vendors and nearby residents typically start arriving at Shwe Saryan about a month in advance to prepare for the event.

A woman jumps off a boat onto the riverbank at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival Myanmar A woman jumps off a boat onto the riverbank at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)
Visitors browse at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival-08 Visitors browse at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)
The annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival The annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)
Vendors at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival-03 Vendors at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)
People arrive in boats for the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival People arrive in boats for the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)
Visitors wait to hop on a boat at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025.
Shwe Saryan Pagoda Festival-02 Visitors wait to hop on a boat at the annual Shwe Saryan Pagoda harvest festival in Shwe Saryan village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar, March 11, 2025. (RFA)