Yee Peng, the lantern festival in Chiang Mai, was the main reason for the timing of our Thailand trip . There wasn’t much information online when I planned my trip so hopefully this helps you plan yours or gives you some insight on this beautiful tradition.
What is Yee Peng
Yee Peng is a festival celebrated in northern Thailand. “Yee Peng” is translated to ‘second month’ and the event falls on the full moon of the second month of the Lanna calendar, typically in November. (November 14 in 2016.) There are three days of festivities around the full moon. First, the lantern is an offering to Buddha. Secondly, lighting and sending off a lantern symbolizes letting go of all the bad in your life to start new. The festival was and in some places still is a sacred ritual involving silence, prayers, and meditation. You’ll find small, thoughtful events at temples around Chiang Mai during this time. While some of the meaning behind the tradition may be lost, it is still a joyous and exciting event for many!
Where to Celebrate Yee Peng – Official Events
Chiang Mai is one of the biggest cities in northern Thailand and traditionally hosts a big Yee Peng festival. The official festival (at Mae Jo University) has been canceled (or not planned) the last two years, probably due to the overwhelming popularity and the death of the king this year (2016). Thousands of people attended this event so you can imagine lots of traffic before and after the event. (It’s like going to a July 4th fireworks show in the USA but x10 traffic!) This event was only for locals but I read of many who went with no problem.
There is a separate, similar event for tourists. The tickets for this event were around $100 per person and included lanterns. If you want to attend this event, start watching for news at least six months in advance because tickets sell out quickly. Be wary of tour companies who will offer ticket packages for a higher price.
Where to Celebrate Yee Peng – Unofficial Events – This is what you should do!
After finding information about the official events too late, our only choice was to show up in Chiang Mai and be spontaneous. I read that there would still be events going on around town and a main area people would go to celebrate. So when we were enjoying dinner one night, we looked up and saw lanterns floating up far in the distance. We quickly finished and started walking towards the lanterns, seemingly following others who were doing the same. We walked outside of Chiang Mai’s wall through Thapae Gate and saw a parade for the king going down the main street and hundreds of people lined up along the street. Further down the street was the Nawarat Bridge where people were lighting and letting go of their lanterns.
Along the street, you’ll find vendors selling lanterns and grab one when you can. Each lantern is about 50 baht. There were fewer vendors on the bridge.
Meditate before you prepare your lantern. Give thanks. Watch others light their lanterns before you try it. It’s slightly tricky. You want to wait and get enough heat in your lantern so that it can float away. Hold tight or it’ll float away before you’re ready. Also, watch out for trees and power lines! We saw a couple getting stuck.
There was so much joy on that bridge. As groups let go of their lanterns, they would cheer and anxiously/excitedly watch their lanterns rise into the sky, hoping for a smooth journey into the black.
Yi Peng coincides with Loi Krathong, the festival involving floating baskets on the river. This tradition originated in southern Thailand. You’ll see decorated banana leaf boats for sale along the streets. After you release your lantern, you can walk down to the river and let your boat float away. The boats are a similar significance to the lanterns.
People in Chiang Mai also release lanterns for New Year’s Eve, so there are at least two opportunities in the year that you can participate.
Here’s a short video from our experience:
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