New Taipei City’s Water-Splashing Festival Without Water—No Splashing, No Water Balloons！ 3 Cultural Experiences of Thai-Myanmar Traditions

▲ The Hands-On Dance Troupe gave a stunning opening performance with an energetic water-splashing dance. (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Government)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The 2015 New Taipei City Water-Splashing Festival Without Water will be held on April 12 at Zhonghe Huaxin Street. In line with water conservation policies, the event used leaves from the red sandalwood tree to sprinkle and ward off bad luck. To liven up the atmosphere, the day featured a creative costume fashion show competition and a Thai-Myanmar cultural quiz with prizes.

Lin Kuan-yu, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, said that this year’s Water-Splashing Festival would involve no splashing, no spraying, and no water balloons. Instead, the festival adopted a traditional and solemn celebration ceremony, which could further deepen the exotic cultural essence of Myanmar. Alongside the Water-Splashing Festival, in addition to a series of artistic and cultural celebration events and food tastings, the Cultural Affairs Bureau also organized an exquisite Thai-Myanmar cultural exhibition at the 435 Art Zone from April 8 to 13, featuring items rich in exotic charm such as peacock harps, kylin harps, gemstone paintings, and straw paintings.

To thoroughly conserve water, the Water-Splashing Festival not only avoided water-splashing but also used reclaimed secondary water for flushing portable toilets. The bureau hopes that surrounding merchants and the public will join in by refraining from playing with water balloons or engaging in water fights, making it a unique Water-Splashing Festival experience.

2015 New Taipei Water-Splashing Festival Event Information
Time: Starts at 10:00 AM on April 12
Venue: South Asian Food Street, Huaxin Street, Zhonghe District
Transportation Information:
Bus: Take Bus No. 249 or any bus heading toward Hongludi, and get off at the “Huaxin Street” stop.
MRT: Take the MRT to Nanshihjiao Station, walk along Xingnan Road toward Hongludi, and you’ll reach Huaxin Street in about fifteen minutes on foot.
Free Shuttle Bus: Zhonghe City Shuttle Bus, get off at the “Huaxin Street” stop.

Other Related Water-Splashing Festival Activities
April 1–April 29: Multicultural Book Exhibition, held at Zhonghe Branch of New Taipei City Public Library
April 7–April 13: Thai-Myanmar Cultural Exhibition, held at Banqiao 435 Art Zone
April 11–April 18: Multicultural Lecture Series, held at Zhonghe Branch of New Taipei City Public Library
April 12–April 19: Multicultural Film Festival, held at New Taipei City Documentary Cinema