Luang Prabang Gears Up for End of Buddhist Lent Festival
Source: Vientiane Times
Luang Prabang authorities are preparing events to welcome visitors to the annual celebration of the end of Buddhist Lent next month.
A spectacular festival takes place in the city every year to mark this significant event in the Buddhist calendar, and this year activities centered on the Mekong River and temples will be open to participants and spectators from October 15-18.
They include worship at the Chomsi stupa, while hundreds of lighted lanterns will be hung in every temple. There will also be almsgiving to temple monks, while the highlight of the festival will be a parade of large ornate lighted model boats along Sisavangvong Road.
The boats are elaborately assembled to resemble various animals, with most built to resemble the naga, the mythical river serpent. The boats will then be floated on the Mekong River, where they will sit majestically and light up the night sky.
Crowds of people gather to pay homage to the river gods, following in the footsteps of their forebears.
At some temples, monks will make a small model boat on which people place lighted candles, incense sticks, and flowers, usually accompanied by a candlelight procession around the temple.
The faithful will set small imitation boats made of banana leaves and adorned with flowers bobbing downstream on the river, believing they will carry away bad luck and bring a new start in life, warding off illness and misfortune.
People pray for good luck, health, happiness, and success and hope that bad luck will vanish from their lives.
Some people use this occasion to reflect on the merits of their parents and the teachings of monks, and pray that they will prosper and their lives will brighten like the candles on the boats.
Luang Prabang is one of the most well-known provinces in Laos and is a top tourist draw because of its riverside location, old temples, quaint streets and alleyways, colorful festivals, and scenic beauty.
Other popular attractions in and around the provincial capital include Phousi Stupa, Sae Waterfall, Kuangxi Waterfall, and the large night market in the town center.
Luang Prabang province was recommended by the American magazine “Time” as one of the 50 greatest places to visit in 2023.
The magazine called Luang Prabang “a hidden paradise”, saying the turquoise waterfalls, Buddhist temples, and sunset boat trips on the Mekong River are just a few of the province’s highlights.