On the same morning, the opening ceremony was solemnly held in the joyful atmosphere of Myanmar people at two main theaters at the City Hall and Yangon City Council.
On this occasion, Myanmar President U Thein Sein hoped that Myanmar would become a united, fair and free country. He also called on people to be vigilant against terrorists as well as negative factors at home and abroad who are taking advantage of the unstable events in Myanmar in the past year to incite ethnic and religious conflicts in the country.
To ensure safety and order during the holidays, more than 5,000 police and security personnel were deployed in areas where major activities took place.
This year's Thingyan festival will last until April 16. During the festival, Myanmar people have the custom of splashing water on each other to wash away bad luck from the old year.
