This year I again attended the Nat Festival at Taungbyone outside of Mandalay. This year, 2009, all of the buses from Yangon to Mandalay were sold out, as was the train. Our hotel room had several sleeping on the floor too!

 

This is the largest Gay Festival in all of Asia and is held yearly about 20km north of Mandalay, for a whole week! It is held the last part of July or in August, the six days leading up and including the full Moon, 5th Lunar month.

 

Thousands of people from all over Myanmar came to celebrate the Taungbyone Nats. Taungbyone is a religious ceremony to honor two Moslem brothers on the grounds of a Buddhist temple through the Nat celebrations! It is however in fact largely a gay festival. Almost all Nats in Myanmar are gay. Also many fake gay Nats show up to join in the party!

 

For six days people dance, eat, and drink. The area is covered with food stands and vender stalls selling everything from house ware to souvenirs. Dance groups cover the area performing all day and into the night. For six days people dance, eat, and drink. During the day and most of the night the different Nat spirits hold performances, each trying to outdo the other.

 

While the whole festival, day and night, is openly gay the

Can you tell us the dates for the next one? How do you get to and from wherever this is held once you are in Mandalay?

 

Also, can you explain what a Nat is? I've never heard of that term.

The date is the same every year based on the Myanmar calendar but different on the western calendar. I will try to find out the date for next year and post it. Or call the Myanmar embassy. If they have a cultural office maybe they would know.

 

Once you get to Mandalay the easiest way to get to the festival is to tell your hotel that you want to go to the festival. Each hotel in Mandalay has a list of trusting taxi drivers and they will call one and you agree on a price. The first time I went I had a driver take me there and wait and bring me back. But there are many buses and motor bikes taxis that will bring you back into the city.

 

A Nat is the same as the Thai spirit that lives in the little house outside of people's homes and in every house and office, etc. In Myanamr Nats are much more formal and have been integrated into Buddhism [by royal decree!]. Check out Nat in Wikipedia.org.

Can you tell us the dates for the next one? How do you get to and from wherever this is held once you are in Mandalay?

 

According to a Myanmar Travel site, it is planning a tour to the 2010 Festival between 23 - 28 August. It also adds Taungbyone is about 9 miles north-east from Mandalay.

While the whole festival, day and night, is openly gay the

Here is a link to Sawatdee forum, http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/any-other-country-f15/taung-byone-nat-festival-myanmar-august-2010-t20367.html

This is a very good report on the Taungbyone festival.

I am not sure if I was at the same Taungbyone nat festival as you were Josan.

 

That is because Josan is hired by the present government of Burma to get tourist to come to Burma, I would take all and everything he says with a big grain of salt.

That is because Josan is hired by the present government of Burma to get tourist to come to Burma, I would take all and everything he says with a big grain of salt.

 

The military junta in Burma is almost as well known for promoting gay events as Khor Tose is well known for appreciating travel reports!

The military junta in Burma is almost as well known for promoting gay events as Khor Tose is well known for appreciating travel reports!

 

Why thank you