By Alex
Located in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai holds the annual Yee Peng Lanna International Lantern Festival every November. This year’s event is scheduled for the evening of Monday, November 11. Thousands of lanterns ascending together create a breathtaking and awe-inspiring spectacle, as if the Milky Way has descended to Earth.
▲(Photo by KenKenPhoto @Twitter)
Buddhists release lanterns as an expression of devotion, symbolizing the release from misfortune and pain, and praying for good fortune and happiness in life. Although the Chiang Mai Lantern Festival is a regional celebration, it has gained international fame, attracting visitors from around the world who come specifically to participate in the lantern release.
▲(Photo by ikarh02 @Twitter)
The official Ten Thousand Lanterns Festival (a paid event) is organized centrally and takes place at the Lanna Buddhist Center at Mae Jo University in Chiang Mai. There are also several community-organized events held at various locations (some paid, some free), but none can match the scale and grandeur of the official event.
▲(Photo by harukuma28 @IG)
By the way, the Thai Lantern Festival and the Loy Krathong (Floating Lantern) Festival often overlap, leading many to confuse the two. Loy Krathong is a nationwide festival, with particularly grand celebrations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Sukhothai. For Thai people, Loy Krathong is second only in importance to Songkran (Thai New Year) and is also known as the “Thai Valentine’s Day.” The Lantern Festival, on the other hand, originates from the ancient traditions of the Lanna Kingdom in Chiang Mai and is a unique celebration in the city.
Lanterns filling the entire view were so beautiful, it felt like a Disney world.
— Ayane / Traveling the World in 2020? (@ikarh02) November 11, 2019
I hope you’ll watch it in full screen. #KomuroKai #Thailand #ChiangMai #Kohmloi #Thailand #Chaingmai #iPhone11pro #shotoniphone pic.twitter.com/YW8c4JquuD
▲(Photo by Oga_Washinton @Twitter)
▲(Photo by su__san3 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by su__san3 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by su__san3 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by su__san3 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by ikarh02 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by ikarh02 @Twitter)
▲(Photo by KenKenPhoto @Twitter)
▲(Photo by Oga_Washinton @Twitter)
Sources: Thai Friends Camp, SeenThailand