The Yi Peng, The Lantern Festival In Thailand
Yi Peng, also known as the lantern festival, is one of the most popular celebrations in Thailand. During the two days of the celebration, the night sky of Chiang Mai is covered with flying lanterns.
These are made with rice paper and a fuel pellet. Thus, thanks to the heat, the paper easily rises towards the sky and illuminates it in an almost magical way. More and more tourists travel to Chiang Mai to be part of this unique spectacle, in which thousands of lanterns compete with the stars to illuminate the skies.
Do you want to know a little more about the origin of this festival? Below we suggest you know all the details you need to know to fully enjoy this unique event.
The origin of the Yi Peng festival
The tradition of this Thai lantern festival comes from Brahmanic origins typical of Hinduism and with a clear influence from Thai Buddhism. There are writings that narrate how King Rama IV already used the floating lanterns to honor Buddha and allow the words of faith of its inhabitants during the year to reach him through the sky.
The first to carry out this festival were the inhabitants of the kingdom of Lanna, in the north of the country, in the 13th century. However, it would take time to spread to the rest of the country, especially to central and southern Thailand. There “only” has been celebrated for 150 years.
The place chosen for the celebration is a large moat that surrounds Chiang Mai. During the festival, in addition to the lanterns offered by each of the participants, the access gates to the city are decorated and more lanterns are made with exquisite designs, in which those in the shape of a dragon or lotus stand out.
At the beginning of the festival and before the launch of the lanterns, there is a fantastic fireworks display. After these, which already announce the crucial moment, the lanterns are thrown into the sky with the fears, regrets and prayers of all its participants. In fact, there are so many participants that it takes the work of air traffic controllers around Chiang Mai to offer more security.
Without a doubt, the lantern festival or Yi Peng is an opportunity for photography lovers. In the same way, it is a unique moment, because of the feeling of harmony and unity that is transmitted when seeing those lights of hope that cross the sky.
Enjoying the lantern festival
The Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai is held every full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai calendar. This coincides between the end of October and the beginning of November. The exact date of the event is published just one month before its celebration, so we recommend having a flexible travel plan.
In addition, we will be able to enjoy other events related to the festival during the previous days. Everything is thinking so that the inhabitants and foreigners soak up this festivity since their arrival.
We must not forget that this festival is a time of reflection for Thais, so we must be respectful of the environment and behave according to the situation. In addition, it is very important to try to share this moment of self-criticism so that the liberation of the lanterns is something more than a merely aesthetic act.
The lanterns are sold by the event organizers, Mae Jo University, and can be purchased on site. We warn that, although vendors may be found outside the place, they will not allow us to enter the premises with unofficial lanterns.
In addition, if what we want is for our lantern to fly easily, it is advisable to turn it on a little earlier so that it begins to generate heat before releasing it. Thus, the gases produced and accumulated inside will make it float safely through the sky. It is also very important that we are aware of where we drop the lantern, to prevent it from being caught in a tree or power lines.
With all these guidelines, it only remains to release the lantern and feel part of the celebration. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive visuals in Thailand.
