Yi Peng Festival

 

 
 

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Want to see more pictures from the Yi Peng festival?  Head on over to my Facebook page to view the rest of the pictures.  You can also “Like” the View From A Cretin Facebook page from there or from the sidebar on the right.  I tend to post random, oddball, or weird things I see during the day throughout my travels, including gum that tastes like Vick’s VapoRub, signs that don’t translate well from Thai to English, and making sure I don’t take daily tasks for granted.  Thanks!

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When I laid out my general plans before starting my trip in late August 2011, I only knew that I was flying in to Bangkok on September 23rd.  Beyond that, I had no plans except for one thing: I knew I would be in Chiang Mai in late October to witness the Festival of Lights.  It was the one event I did not want to miss.  When I arrived in Chiang Mai on October 23rd I soon discovered that there were going to be two Yi Peng festivals this year, one that was for local Thais, and another event debuting for the first time this year that was geared towards foreigners, Yeepeng Lanna International.  The first event for locals was to be held October 29th, entry was free, and a lantern cost 100 baht (about $3).  The second event, to be held November 9th, cost $100 and included performances geared towards tourists.  It was no contest deciding which one I wanted to attend.

Chiang Mai boasts a very good expat scene, and the city is a great melting pot of individual talent, including bloggers and others with an appetite for both traveling and an entrepreneurial spirit.  Upon arriving to the city I have met and made friends with many of these great people, and it was thus that a group of about 15-20 of us joined up to attend the October 29th Yi Peng festival together.

We arrived early in order to stake a good spot, picking out an area in the front left hand section of the lawn.  A Buddha temple was situated to our left and the center ceremony platform was about 50 yards ahead and slightly to our right.  The entire lawn had been transformed, with metal poles roughly four feet high spaced roughly three feet apart in perfect rows.  The top of each pole was adorned with a metal bowl, filled with wax, with a thick wick of string in the middle.

The entrance to the ceremonial lawn was lined with street vendors, so we perused the stalls, sampling different dishes.  Cakeballs, meat on a stick, noodles, fruit smoothies, and more beckoned us.  After we had our fill, we returned to our section and waited, content with food in our stomachs.

The festival began shortly after dusk, around 6:00PM, and started with an hour of meditation.  This was a peaceful, relaxing hour, as monks chanted for a time, and then they took a break while soothing music penetrated the air.  Now content in both mind and soul, it was time to start the lantern lighting.  The metal poles were lit and the dark silent lawn transformed, teeming with lights and the excited talk of people as the crowd looked around at this illuminating sight.  It reminded me very much of a music concert where the crowd all lights their cigarette lighters.  There was an aura of excitement tinging the air.

Next the call went out, first in Thai, then in English, for the crowd to begin to light their lanterns.  The excitement in the air was almost palpable as people started to pair up or form tiny groups around their flame-dancing pole.  Soon the lanterns were lit, thousands of them, ready to be released.  As custom, the people holding the lantern silently made a wish together and then released the lantern.  The release all happened simultaneously, as a signal was given and then the lanterns were let loose.

The scene was incredible.  All my hopes and expectations leading up to this festival were surpassed.  The collective elation of the crowd was enormous, seemingly intoxicating.  I could only look up in awe as thousands of glowing lanterns filled the sky, and my entire field of vision was engulfed by white lanterns with a yellow flame at the bottom of each gently sending them skyward.

The night was unforgettable, and one of those rare significant moments that happens to exceed all expectations.  I did not want to miss this festival on my round-the-world trip, it was one I had staked out from the onset.  To cross it off my bucketlist was a great feeling, but to cross if off knowing it lived up to and exceeded all expectations was truly remarkable.