A Guide To Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival 2019 (Yee Peng)

พฤศจิกายน 1, 2019

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival (Yee Peng)

Chiang Mai is going to have its greatest annual event – The 2019 Chiang Mai Yee Peng (Loy Krathong) Festival, which will be held during 9-12 November 2019. The whole downtown will be exquisitely adorned with paper lanterns, terra cotta candles, vivid and colorful decorations signifying that festive ambience is coming through the town.

Chiang Mai has its own way to celebrate Loy Krathong, where the rest of Thailand floating lotus-shaped vessels onto the river, Chiang Mai rather releases sky lanterns into the air. A phenomenon in which Chiang Mai’s skyline appears the brightest, and we know it’s not only because the full moon night to give credit to.

The Loy Krathong parades in Chiang Mai greatly showcase its pride. As the center of Lanna Kingdom with 700 years of history, all artistic and cultural performances you’ll get to see here are northern specialties you wouldn’t normally come across for a one-time visit.

The three-day celebration covers anything considered fun, delight and splendor. Venues where these things take place are a short ride away or even walkable. The Old City Moat area is where to expect for eye-catching parades, festive decorations and Insta-worthy spots. Those on the lookout for religious ceremony to take part, head out to Wat Phan Tao, Wat Lok Molee and Wat Si Don Chai where sacred rituals are set to take place annually. Read on below to find out 7 hotspots to celebrate Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival.

Before leaving Thailand, make sure you experienced the best of the North and this Yee Peng festival just literally lives up to the hype!

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**Sky lantern must be released at the specified time as imposed by Chiang Mai Municipality. This 2019, it is scheduled to be on 11 November 2019 from 19.00 – 01.00 hrs the following day.

7 Places To Celebrate Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai

Wat Phan Tao

This is a must-go. Wat Phan Tao holds the most instagrammable spot with its signature setting of novice Buddhist monks performing their religious ritual for Loy Krathong ceremony. In the middle of darkness, the park ground and small pond inside Wat Phan Tao are entirely lit up by hundreds of candle lightings and paper lanterns luminously hanging from trees. On this occasion, a bamboo bridge will be used as a pathway for Buddhist monks to walk in a row from their cubicles to sit on carpet of candles. The temple will also host several cultural performances. From Tha Pae Gate, Wat Phan Tao is only 650 meters away and for this, you should see it yourself.

Wat Lok Molee

Wat Lok Molee has recently emerged in a Thai famous soap opera. The scene in which the temple’s outdoor space decorated with hanging northern Thai style lanterns has gone viral. These colorful hanging lanterns are locally called as ‘Lanna Lantern’ and the common practice among visitors is to write down their names on lanterns and hang it on a thin bar in front of the vihara, followed by lighting the terra cotta candle trays as to worship the pagoda. Only two kilometers from Tha Pae Gate, Wat Lok Molee is another must-visit where you can be a part of making Chiang Mai a city full of colors.

Nawarat Bridge

Two prominent areas in Chiang Mai where locals come to float krathongs and release sky lanterns are Nawarat Bridge and Iron Bridge. For Nawarat Bridge, its nearby area is also where a concert is held annually. As informed earlier, sky lantern must be released at the specified time as imposed by Chiang Mai Municipality. This 2019, it is scheduled to be on 11 November 2019 from 19.00 – 01.00 hrs the following day.

Iron Bridge

The Iron Bridge is actually walkable from Nawarat Bridge by just 550 meters. The two bridges line on the same horizontal position of the Ping River. Similarly to Nawarat Bridge, you can float krathongs and release sky lanterns here on the date and time specified by Chiang Mai Municipality.

Chiang Mai Municipal Area

This is where most activity highlights of Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival will take place, of which will vary from day to day. On 10 November, there will be the ‘Yee Peng Kids Contest’. On 11 November, they will host the ‘Krathong Crafting Contest’, ‘Cultural Performances of Lanna’ and the highlight of the day which is ‘Ceremony for the continually floating of candle trays’ held at 19.00 and 22.00 hrs.

The last ceremony involves floating 1000 of candle trays onto the Ping River, which will occur at the venue in front of Chiang Mai Municipality Office. The ceremony could be said to bring luminosity to the Ping River in darkness.

Tha Pae Gate

Despite gaining a spot for places to visit in Chiang Mai, Tha Pae Gate will be extra lively and special during Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival. See photogenic corners at every turn, Tha Pae Gate will also be hosting ‘The opening ceremony of 2019 Chiang Mai Yee Peng Festival’, ‘Yee Peng Lantern Procession Contest’ and ‘Grand Krathong Float Processions Contest (for H.M. the King’s Trophy)’.

Inside Chiang Mai’s City Moats

Known for its relaxing small public park, this is a perfect place to take a stroll and behold splendid decorations of the city walls during Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival. These include ten thousands of northern Thai style lanterns, striking photo booths plus another ten thousands of terra cotta candle trays. All together create a sight to behold and festive ambience you wish to stay even a minute longer.