An exhibition of Myanmar’s traditional performing arts is being held at TNUA, with one of the major exhibits being a complete set of “hsaing waing” musical instruments. 

“Unfaded Splendor: Myanmar/Burmese Classical Music in TNUA,” derived from a similar exhibition held by the Academia Sinica’s Enthnology Institute, opened on December 21, 2016, and runs until March 12, 2017.

Some of the TNUA exhibits are borrowed from the Ethnology Institute’s highly acclaimed exhibition that presented the uniqueness of Myanmar’s performing arts. TNUA’s FuturePast Lab is re-presenting the exhibition to introduce Myanmar’s performing arts to the school and its neighboring communities.

The elaborately decorated “hsaing waing” set, which is rarely seen outside of Myanmar, was acquired by TNUA’s Department of Traditional Music in 2008.

The exhibition also presents various aspects of the Burmese dance and music in the early 20th century through a display post cards from the period. There is also video clips of performances allowing visitors to experience the beauty of traditional “hsaing waing” music.

Two Myanmar musicians, Kyaw Myo Naing and Parami Shyon, and two dancers, Dan Dan and Ni Ni, perfomed at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on December 21.

The two classically-trained musicians are very active in Myanmar in music, performing arts, education and theatre. The dancers are ethnic-Chinese who started leaning dancing and music very early in their childhood, and they are very popular among the ethnic-Chinese community in Myanmar.