MANDALAY — Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) announced on Thursday that it has received tender applications worth over two billion kyats for pavilions on the eastern side of the city’s palace at the upcoming water festival in April.
The value is for just eight pavilions out of a total of 24 pavilions permitted around the palace walls, the committee said.
MCDC imposed a partial ban on for-profit pavilions during Thingyan celebrations earlier this year.
“The largest application is about 540 million kyats and the minimum 200 million kyats,” said U Kyaw Zaw Aung, an official of MCDC’s tax and license department. “That exceeds the total amount the MCDC received last year,” he added.
The MCDC changed the licensing system for pavilions this year from a deposit system to inviting tender.
This year, the committee also reduced the number of pavilions around the old palace moat from about 40 to 24—eight pavilions on the East, West, and North sides.
“We believe we will receive more funds if we invite tender applications on three sides of the moat,” said U Kyaw Zaw Aung.
On the south side of the moat, there will be only two pavilions—operated by MCDC and the military.
The whole street on the south side will be pedestrianized, said MCDC, so that visitors can enjoy traditional of Thingyan celebrations—not just spraying water and dancing to disco music.
“Although this is the very first year to revive the traditional way of celebrating Thingyan in Mandalay, we assure visitors they will have a wonderful experience here,” said U Kyaw Zaw Aung.
