Gypsy Atlas: Loy Krathong Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai

Monks helping people light their lanterns at a temple.

Sarah and I planned our trip to Thailand to coincide with the annual lantern festival, Loy Krathong. It was hard to get information about the festival before arriving in Chiang Mai, but once we were there, we could not escape the festival had we wanted to (which we didn't). We saw lanterns in the air, floating down the river, and set up in parks, temples and plazas across the city. The sky was filled with thousands of paper lanterns lit from within by flame. The effect is intoxicating. I first noticed the lanterns in the sky after walking into a temple complex lit by hundreds of small red clay candles with orange wax, placed on every surface, including the golden chedi, which reflected the lights beautifully as a black and white temple cat slept peacefully amongst the candles. A monk’s chants were amplified on a loudspeaker for Thais sitting on folding chairs facing the chedi worshipping and leaving offerings. The monk knelt in front of the chedi, his amplified chants lending eerie sound effects.

As I walked out of the temple complex gate, decorated with palm fronds and colorful lanterns, I looked up and saw lanterns floating in the sky. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the sky as I weaved through the busy night streets, until a massive parade diverted my attention.

Thousands of people flood the streets to celebrate Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. Massive lanterns decorate the city in the shape of dragons, elephants, cartoon characters, and people. Thais and tourists alike pose in front of these colorful lanterns with big smiles on their faces and fingers in the air in the universal peace sign. Thousands of lanterns hang in parks, on city streets, and on temple gates as well.

Revelers set lanterns into the sky from temples and on the banks of the Ping River, where kids of all ages let off fireworks in all directions. The white tissue lanterns, sold by monks and street vendors, unfold to wider than a person’s width and nearly as tall. It takes two, but most seemed to prefer 4-5, people to ignite and alight a lantern. Posing for photos with their lantern right as the lantern casts an orange glow on their faces is a highlight for most groups.

The stars themselves have competition from the beautiful lanterns filling the sky and temples bedecked with candles and lanterns on the nights of Loy Krathong. The date of the festival changes every year, as it coincides with the full moon in November. I can’t imagine a more magical time to visit Chiang Mai.