Police in Shan State expect about 200,000 locals and foreigners to visit Taunggyi in the coming days for an annual balloon festival that kicked off on Nov. 10, Eleven Media reports. Police Col. Win Tun of the Shan State Police said a heavy security presence would be deployed for the festival, including 1,000 officers and the installation 41 CCTV cameras on the festival grounds. Every year the balloon festival marks the end of Buddhist lent and features the release of massive, candle-fired balloons laden with firecrackers into the night sky.