Thailand Lantern Festival 2017 - Yee Peng and Loy Krathong (Chiang Mai)

in #travel6 years ago (edited)

If you've been keeping up with my Steemit blog, you'll know that I'm currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Recently (on Nov 3rd and 4th) I experienced the magical festivals of Yee Peng and Loy Krathong. It was breathtaking and I wanted to share my experience with you.

Yee Peng Festival

The Yee Peng festival is celebrated on the first full moon of the 12th traditional Thai calendar. In the Western calendar, which usually falls in November.

Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of the former Lanna Kingdom, hosts a spectacular series of festivities with the most enchanting being the release of thousands of sky lanterns.

Some background from https://www.chiangmaitraveller.com/

In this festival, lighted Khom Loi (Lanna style sky lanterns) are released into the air through the course of the night. The act of releasing the lantern symbolizes letting go of all ills and misfortunes in the previous year, and Buddhists also believe that if you make a wish when you set off the lantern, it will come true (but only if you do good deeds the following year).

Check out this amazing 1st-hand experience (and a lantern catching fire mid-flight at the 56 sec mark)

Magical, isn't it? I had never experienced something like this before and honestly, I didn't know what to expect. Here's another video of my and my first lantern!! My cheeks literally hurt from all the smiling and I def got a bit emotional...

More pictures to set the moment.


Loy Krathong

Here's a little background, again from https://www.chiangmaitraveller.com/

Loy Krathong is a festival celebrated throughout Thailand with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known. Thais use the festival to thank the goddess of water for providing life to the fields and forests and asks for forgiveness for polluting ways of the human.

Loosely translated, Loy Krathong means, “to float a basket”.
“Loy” means to float and a “Krathong” is a small handmade boat traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. Modern-day versions often use styrofoam or bread which will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish.

Unfortunately it was very windy the night I went to the river to float my basket and all of the candles and incense were getting blown out. I couldn't capture any footage, but here's a pic of the types of baskets that are floated. All beautiful and amazing at only ~$1! I hoped to see an entire river lit with fire, but not this year.


The Parade

Walking back, I encountered a parade! Check out some of the floats and Thai locals in tradition dress.


...and to cap off the night, some Thai BBQ and a ride home in a Tuktuk!

I hope you enjoyed the journey and that you keep following your dreams. Don't just make a wish and hope it comes true, go out there and hustle for it. It's up to you. #buildFreedom

Until next time :)

-Ashe

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Hi, Just joined Steemit and also in Thailand. Do you have any resource or simple user tips you can link me to please ? As for your post, my fav festival of the year in Thailand, but not as much fun in Bangkok as it is in Chiang Mai. Best wishes mate :-)

just post about things which you are passionate about :)

What's good about Chiang Mai, this time of the year is that, if it is a more typical season, the heavy rains of the previous months should be abating into the dry season. Hopefully anyway if memory serves.

exactly! The rains are leaving and the weather is cooling. It's nearly perfect :)

Enjoys the cooler weather finally. It is glorious indeed!

vry cool post bro

lol ur not a bot but you sound like it.

@ashe-ro I lived in Thailand for over 9 months and have travelled there more than half a dozen times (mostly on work, twice for leisure). I can never get enough of the country. It's not just culturally rich an so alive, but Thai people are among the most congenial, warm hearted people I have come across anywhere (and their congeniality is just restricted to the rich white tourist, but anybody and everybody who lands on their shores). Thanks for the post!

Wow! I'd love to visit thailand someday. Keep posting! :)

will do, thanks for reading. I plan to have a temple day soon which should be amazing!

Oh!! :) I'd love to share to you my trips , too. :) :) looking forward for that. @ashe-oro

Calling @originalworks :)
img credz: pixabay.com
Nice, you got a 49.0% @minnowbooster upgoat, thanks to @ashe-oro
Want a boost? Minnowbooster's got your back!

The @OriginalWorks BETA V2 bot has upvoted(0.5%) and checked this post!
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well I didn't see it there, but I cited the original source

wow beautiful! We have been to Chiang Mai before but never in November, I hope we will get to see this celebration next time we go

WOW...what a great experience.

I am on the way to Bali, but return to Thailand in december.
Heart a lot of good things about Chiang Mai.

Have a great day,
Thomas

Awh, I miss Chiang Mai!

If you had the time, take a bus ride to Pai. 3 hours, 182km, 762 turns! But once you're there, it's SUPER worth it!

Your knowledge of the distance and curves means that like me, you also bought the obligatory T-Shirt lol

......but not by bus. Hire a scooter in Chiang Mai and ride there taking your time to enjoy the scenery in the mountains. There are many places to explore en route and guest houses and homestays to spend a night before reaching Pai, possibly the most chilled out place on earth !

Haven't attempted on the scooter yet, but definitely it's in the plans. I usually go with my girlfriend and she hasn't learned how to ride a bike yet. Two adults with bags on a bike could be dangerous, though I've seen people done it. :)

yes, the bags are difficult...but perhaps not as dangerous as those deranged moron van drivers....either way, the destination makes the white knuckle journey worthwhile :-)

I read somewhere before that the drivers had made the pact for the afterlife, hence their death-defying driving attitudes, haha.

Beautiful pictures and interesting post. Now following you.

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