Tokyoahead - New Year in Chiang Mai, Thailand

New Year parties seem to be the same all over the world. An oversized, hopefully good dinner with ingredients you otherwise would not order, Champagne, a countdown, fireworks, hugs & kisses, a party to follow up. If you are however in Chiang Mai where the laid back and nature-related attitude of the locals would not care about most of the above mentioned (apart from the food maybe), a very traditional, calm and touching event takes place that truly lifts the spirit.


Of course, there is some show and dancing, since that is what Thailand is famous for. There might be some acrobatics, and simluated fights since that is also a part of Thai culture. A fire show is surely something worth watching and combined with the dance and music, it truly gives you something that makes people stop their conversations.

The imagery of the shows together with the mostly elegant style of Thai architecture is also worth seeing. The water is a little cold in this season however and after a couple of minutes you start feeling pity wit hthe girls freezing in there...

Of course the firewoks are not the same size as in metropolitain areas and in some cases you wonder why not more of the city burns down during new year, but its definetely fun, worth watching and much fitting into the surrounding scenery than a computerized 30 minute spectactle with lasers as you might have it in Hong Kong or elsewhere.

When the official part is over and one chooses between a party and a more relaxed evening, you get a chance to light a khom loy, a mulberry paper lantern, that holds its own ring of fire, carrying it up and away, along with hundreds of others over the city, creating its own moving stars from horizon to horizon. The simplicity and silence of the lantern, along with the flicker of the fire and slow rising of your lantern truly sets you in a mood that you will not forget.

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New Year in Chiang Mai, Thailand

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