Candle Festival

Candle Festival (Hae Thian in Thai) is held around the days of Asanha Bucha. Asanha Bucha commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon and Wan Kao Pansa marks the beginning of retreat—when the monks don’t go out for alms until the rainy season is over. It is a tradition, in preparation for the rainy days ahead, for the devout to donate items for the personal use of the monks, and candles for their quarters and elsewhere within the temples. The donation of candles is often the main event of many village celebrations and giant candles are paraded through the town, each representing a temple, district, or organization. These giant candles are often seen as works of art elaborately designed and sculpted to depict scenes of Hindu and Buddhist mythology such as the Ramayana. And they are usually kept for the annual procession of the coming year.

On Asanha Bucha Day in Chiang Rai, candles are taken to Suan Tung in the middle of the city, where they are decorated and exhibited in the evening. The procession takes place during the day when the candles are paraded through the city centre on floats accompanied by dancers and musicians in traditional Lanna costumes.