Yi Peng Lantern Festival
Thailand's Sky Full of Lights
A River of Light in the Sky
The Yi Peng Lantern Festival is a visually stunning and deeply spiritual festival celebrated in Northern Thailand, with the largest celebrations held in Chiang Mai. It is a Lanna (ancient northern Thai kingdom) festival that coincides with Loi Krathong, the national Thai festival of lights. While Loi Krathong involves floating baskets on water, Yi Peng is famous for the release of thousands of 'khom loi' (sky lanterns) into the night sky.
The festival is a celebration of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (usually in November). It's a time for making merit, paying respects to the Buddha, and for symbolic renewal.