Yee Peng Lantern Festival-Lighting up lanterns for reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness.

You are going to know about

• What is Yee Peng Lantern Festival?
• Where to celebrate Yee Peng Festival?
• How to buy tickets for Yee Peng Festival?
• Places to stay during the festival
• Spots To explore
• Sky and Water – Yee Peng and Loi Krathong
• How Can we help?

What is Yee Peng Lantern Festival ?

Thailand is known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha celebrates a soul-filling festival known as Yee Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai.Yee Peng- The Lantern Festival, preceded by Loy Krathong where people release floating lanterns into the sky. Caught your mind – thinking of the movie ” Tangled “, Am I right? Yeah, the perfect time to ‘make merit’ and set your floating Krathong off on the Ping River, or light your lantern and make a wish for good fortune in the new year. Celebrated during full moon day in the month of November according to the Lanna lunar calendar, you see locals’ homes and public places decked out in colorful hanging lanterns and flag decorations.

Buddhists also believe that making a wish when you set off the lantern, it will come true. Happening activities that happen all over Chiang Mai include “Traditional Thai dance shows”, the official ‘Yee Peng Parade’ around the Old City gate and down Tha Phae Road, live music, and handicraft sessions.

Where to Celebrate Yee Peng Festival ?

Chiang Mai being an old City area still retains remnants of walls and earthwork from its history as a cultural and religious center. It is also home to hundreds of intricate Buddhist temples, including 14th-century Wat Phra Singh and 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang, enhanced with carved serpents. Lanterns are released into the sky all over Chiang Mai during the night at 6:30 PM. Getting in the spot and arriving early is an extravaganza to get the experience of the beauty of lighting it. As it’s a more authentic festival, coming in respectable clothing is recommended.

There is also another Yee Peng ceremony especially for tourists, held about one week after the actual festival. Experience more mass lantern lighting and jaw-dropping photo opportunities. Tickets in the past have been $US100 (around 3,000 baht), and this has included a full meal, transfers, and two lanterns to light up.

Also read: https://pickyourtrail.com/blog/things-to-do-with-kids-in-thailand/

How to buy tickets for Yee peng festival?

You can buy the Yee Peng Doi Saket tickets directly from the website.

Place to stay during the festival

Done, Done, Done! Done with reading now? Obviously, you are fortunate enough to get tickets to the mass lantern release or are planning to stay in town for the local festivities, you should try to stay in the areas such as Arak Road, Bumrungrad road, Moon Muang road. Staying inside or as close to the Old City square is recommended. Previously it used to be in Prasert land near Nimman Road. It has not yet been finalized, but we can expect the same for this year too. Pickyourtrail offers some unbeatable pricing for the stay and an endless list of options to choose from.

Spots to explore

The huge event of Yee Peng used to be held at the Maejo University. As there were many complaints from aircraft carriers (lanterns being a hazard to passing aircraft) and damage to the surrounding events, this grand event was canceled. We also wanted to let know about this only because certain sources continue to cite Maejo university as the biggest lantern launch of the festival.

You can take part in the Yee Peng Lanna International event, which sees thousands of participants. The event provides you with a buy, for 5,500 Baht, transfer to and fro from the city, 1 lantern, and dinner for the evening. Another event you can participate in is Yee Peng Doi Saket. The minimal standard package includes a lantern, a Krathong, a small souvenir, and transport to and from the city.

If you don’t want to pay to participate in the Yee Peng Festival, there are free events in Chiang Mai to celebrate the festival. Most of the events include the firework shows, parades, and the floating of khom Lois from the Nawarat Bridge of the Mae Ping River. Similar to the paid events, where the lanterns are launched simultaneously, locals launch the lanterns one set at a time from the bridge.

Sky and Water – Yee Peng and Loi Krathong

There is absolute confusion between Yee Peng & Loi Krathong. Whereas Loi Krathong is celebrated by the entire country. Worshippers pay gratitude to the Water Gods during this festival for bringing the rain to Thailand. Locals get into Krathongs – floating, lotus-shaped floats with candles, incense, and coins – into the water bodies, creating lakes, rivers, and water bodies filled with light and flame. Just like Yee Peng, locals always believe that this act banishes bad luck. While both seasons celebrate the turn of the season, Loi Krathong is completely at the end of the rainy season, while Yee Peng anticipates the coming of winter. Yee Peng was celebrated, originally, as a standalone festival, although over time it is celebrated in tandem with Loi Krathong. Since Chiang Mai was the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, the grandest Yee Peng celebrations are held there.

How can we help?

At Pickyourtrail, we’re always on the hunt for unique experiences. A thousand lanterns in the sky? Colors, parades, music and festivity, everything you can experience – unleashing your thirst to explore? These are moments and experiences that we’d like our travelers to coddle into. This is why we’ve created an exclusive Festival of Lights package for the Yee Peng festival in Chiang Mai. Five nights and six days of being in the festival, visiting the Doi Inthanon National Park, touring the temples of Chiang Mai, and a day at the beautiful and bustling city of Bangkok.

So, this November, carry your substantial wish plan a vacation with your luggage and send it in to the universe with the power of a lantern.