Brightly-patterned hot air balloons and fireworks light up the night sky as the much-loved Tazaungdaing festival returns to Myanmar's Taunggyi city after a three-year hiatus.
But crowds are staying away from the military-backed event as violent clashes swell across the country.
"Many more people should be here.
This festival used to be very crowded in the past," says Nu Nu Sein, a Taunggyi resident.