Yi Peng Lantern Festival at Mae Jo University Chiang Mai

Yi Peng is a Lanna Festival that coincides with the celebration of Loy Krathong (country-wide festival) that usually takes place every November. The festival is meant as a time of “tham bum” or merit (a Buddhist/Hindu concept). During this time, Chiang Mai holds a very elaborate festival all through out the town celebrating both Yi Peng and Loy Krathong. And one of the most visited place to marvel at this magical celebration is Mae Jo University.

Mae Jo University is located approximately 16 kilometers away from Chiang Mai Old City and has been the main site for the sky lantern spectacle where thousands of lanterns are flown at the end of the ceremony. Chiang Mai residents, foreign visitors and as well as local visitors from other Thai cities and towns visit Mae Jo University to participate and witness this amazing sight.

How to Go to Mae Jo and Go Back to Old City

If you know how to drive a motorbike then this would probably be the most convenient and economical way to go to Mae Jo. Motorbike rental starts at 150 baht and up excluding the cost of petrol. Using a car to go to Mae Jo might not best option because of the heavy traffic that builds up around Mae Jo during the festivities.

If you don’t know how to drive a motorbike, you could also commute to get there but involves walking a couple of kilometers from the main road to Lanna Dhutanka Temple (inside Mae Jo University). if you have decided to commute, take the Green Songthaew at Warorot Market and tell he driver to take you to Mae Jo. Fare cost 20 baht per person. The driver will stop at an overpass wherein you have to cross to get to the other side of the road where the university is located. Walk inside the university and just follow the crowd. Most of the people you see inside the university are also on their way to the temple.

After the celebration, walk towards the main road where you alighted (on your way to Mae Jo) and take a Songthaew back to Old City. Most of the songthaews plying the road are now on their way to take tourists back to the Old City so you can just hail any songthaew that passes by. Unfortunately, fare won’t be the same on the way back. We paid 75 Baht each back to the night market. A lot of songthaews are asking 100 and 150 Baht per person and we just haggled with the driver since the songthaew was already full of people.

Another alternative is to check tour agencies in town or your hostel/hotel if they’re organizing a transport to and from Mae Jo.

Inside Lanna Dhutanka Temple

We arrived at the temple at around 3PM which is a bit early for the estimated time for the launch of the lanterns (6:30PM). We wanted to find a good spot to setup our tripod so we could take clear pictures of the event. Even though we arrived at 3PM (3 1/2 hours before the launch of the lanterns), there’re already so many people inside the compound of the temple. In case you arrive at 5PM, expect that most nice spots are already occupied so be sure to go there a bit early.

 Food stalls inside the temple complex

 Excited participants from all over the world

There’s a ceremony being held inside the temple when we arrived and the area where the lanterns will be launched were occupied by enthusiastic participants. outside the temple complex, there are many vendors selling sky lanterns, food and drinks. DO NOT BUY your lanterns outside as it won’t be allowed inside. You can buy inside instead for only 100 baht for three sky lanterns.

Be sure to also wear pants and shirts with sleeves especially for women. Drinking alcohol and smoking is also not permitted inside the temple complex.

An hour of ceremony and the awaited launch of the sky lanterns

Once the monks were seated at the round stage, a ceremony and a few prayers were held. There’s also an English, Jelapanese and Chinese translators for the instructions to participants. They also gave a brief history and explanation about the Yi Peng celebration.

And around 7PM, everyone was already eager to release their lanterns. The first group to release their lanterns were the monks and while doing so, they are also giving out an instruction on how to light up your lantern and when to release it.

And then the magic happens, thousands of lanterns were released at the same time (with the exception of the lanterns released outside the temple complex).

Here are the pictures of the beautiful sky lanterns:

 Prayers and Wishes

 Lanterns launched outside the temple complex

This celebration is definitely one of the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. I was blown away when the first batch of lanterns were released by the participants. They were like stars that were floating from the ground towards the dark sky. I saw some people who cried while they marvel at the beauty that unfolded in front of everyone. It’s such a once in a lifetime experience that I highly suggest you go to and experience yourself.