The Yi Peng Lantern Festival is a celebration that happens annually in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Historically, the event began as a religious practice but in recent decades, the celebration has shifted to include modern views such as reflecting and renewing oneself for the upcoming year. As a symbol, people release lanterns into the night sky. There is nothing like this experience – talk about feeling like you are standing in the middle of the universe. Here are 5 tips for the Yi Peng Lantern Festival you must know:
1. The festival follows the Thai lunar calendar during the full moon phase and happens two days out of the year between the months of November and December. In order to be a part of the festival, you have to plan your trip accordingly to that time of the year. Current dates can be found on the main organizer’s official website here.
2. Tickets must be purchased in advance to attend the festival. They generally sell out weeks before the event, so don’t wait. One ticket includes a tote bag, two paper lanterns, a fabulous dinner, and pick-up & drop off from a designated location.
3. Arrive at the pick-up location early. This is important because the festival is outside of Chiang Mai in a remote area with little direction on how to get there. Therefore, everyone attending is picked up at a designed public location and dropped off. The lines for the bus start filling out fast, so you will want to get there at least 30 minutes before schedule time.
4. Learn to light up a paper lantern. Lighting a paper lantern requires two people – one person to hold while the other person lights the wick. To have a successful launch, don’t release your lantern too early. Make sure that there is enough gas in the lantern. Second, you don’t want to wait too long because the wick on your lantern will burn out. Lastly, make sure your lantern has a clear path to launch.
5. Be prepared for a little chaos when leaving. Like any event at closing time, everyone wants to get home. So, if you are one to dislike the crowd, leave a little early to get in line for the bus transportation. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy your ride back to your drop-off.
