Pedestrians on a street in central Yangon, Myanmar, were joined by an 8m-tall wicker puppet last Saturday, as part of the Mingalabar festival. The three-day event, which ended yesterday, was held to celebrate 55 years of cultural relations between France and Myanmar and brought together more than a hundred local and international artists specialising in areas like street art, music, circus and dance.

The festival's organisers said that their aim was to "give back the city to its inhabitants" through performances and activities that would also encourage Yangon residents to take an active role .

This giant puppet, for example, which was presented by French company L'Homme Debout, was built by members of the public, including school children, according to a report by the Myanmar Times.

Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein said the festivities would help locals to know something about the wider world, just as the world would learn more about Myanmar.