Yibeng!
Last Saturday I went to Mae Jo University with a friend for the annual Yibeng festival event. Thousands of kom lois (lanterns) are let off simultaneously. There is quite a ceremony as it is seen as a prayer for peace and goodness. Yibeng is a northern Thai word for part of the Loy Kratong festival and holiday, which is November 2, but celebrated October 31-November 3. More to come on that later…
lanterns are lit on tiki-torch-type things
here I am lighting our lantern – it’s almost ready to go!
there goes our lantern…
… and this is what they all look like together
it was an amazing thing to see