Buzz
As the year draws to a close, numerous countries across Asia like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand... host remarkable festivals that capture the attention of tourists from around the globe. In this article, Mytour will compile and introduce you to the festivals happening at the year-end.
1. Soorya Arts Festival (India)
In India, November heralds the festival season. Starting from the first day of the month until its end, festivals will unfold across the entire country.
Among these, the Soorya Arts Festival stands out as the world's longest festival, spanning 111 days from September 21 to January 10. During this period, a multitude of activities such as films, dances, music performances, and folk arts will take place.
Additionally, from November 2 until the end of the month, prominent festivals will include Guru Nanak Jayanti, the Hampi Festival (Vijaya Utsav), the Pushkar Camel Fair, the Ganga Mahotsav, Kartik Purnima, Bali Yatra, the Kolayat Fair (Kapil Muni Fair), the Bundi Utsav, and the Ellora Ajanta Festival, among others.
2. Water Festival (Cambodia)
Taking place during the full moon in November this year. This is considered the largest festival in the Khmer calendar, even bigger than the New Year celebration. Cambodians will have a 10-day holiday to celebrate this festival. They will gather along the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers in Phnom Penh to watch the large-scale boat races.
Some years have seen over 400 brightly colored boats participating with over 2,500 rowers. This boat racing activity dates back to ancient times, demonstrating the strength of the Khmer navy under the Khmer Empire.
Throughout the day, teams of boats race in pairs along a 1km stretch of river. Then in the evening, the beautifully decorated wooden boats will be floated along the river before and during the fireworks display.
The festival marks the changing flow of the Tonle Sap River and is also considered a thanksgiving festival for the Mekong River for bringing fertility to the land and providing food for the people.
3. That Luang Festival (Laos)
The That Luang Festival, also known as Bun Festival, occurs at That Luang Temple and Si Muong Temple - divided into 2 parts: The Ceremony and The Festival.
The Ceremony involves ritualistic practices crafted by humans to connect with the divine. Besides folk religious customs like the procession of Phi Muong (the guardian spirit of the province) from Si Muong Temple to That Luang, Bun That Luang carries political weight as a Day of Oaths.
From the era of King Fa Ngum (14th century) until 1975, this ceremony was overseen by the Lao monarch. During the Oath Festival, dignitaries, delegates, provincial governors, village chiefs assemble, each bearing a beeswax-coated palanquin, arranged in a line before the ceremonial site.
A Buddhist monk holds a white fabric string, linking the provinces, districts, and villages together. This symbolizes national unity, loyalty, and solidarity, discouraging division.
The Festival part embodies the Lao saying “Khon Lao Mak Moon” (Lao people love to have fun). It mainly revolves around entertainment in various forms from culinary delights to arts, culture, sports, trading, and exhibitions. Particularly, Bun That Luang coincides with the International Trade Fair, lasting three days and nights.
Bun That Luang is renowned for its food offerings. Some people attend the festival solely for... the food. There is a wide variety of dishes, from common ones to exotic delicacies.
Note that to bring a camera into the festival area, you'll need to pay a fee of 40,000 Kip (~$5). But that's just a small price compared to what you can experience!
4. Loi Krathong Festival (Thailand)
Also held on the full moon day of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Western calendar, this day usually falls in November.
“Loi” means “to float”, while “Krathong” refers to a small floating raft, typically made from banana tree trunk. Nowadays, rafts can be made from bread or sometimes even styrofoam, intricately decorated with banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense, and more.
On the full moon night, thousands gather by rivers, canals, lakes, and even the sea, praying silently before carefully releasing their krathongs into the water. Small rafts carrying flowers, candles, and incense are gently set afloat. Some also release them into water basins at home.
Thai people believe that releasing krathongs on the river honors and expresses their respect for the Water Goddess. Additionally, it's a way to apologize to the Water Goddess for polluting the river in the past year. That's why Loi Krathong is held at the end of the year.
Everywhere in Thailand hosts this festival. But the liveliest is perhaps in Bangkok, with long processions of drummers, cultural performances, traditional Thai music, folk entertainment, fireworks, and many more activities.
However, in the city of Chiang Mai, they don't release krathongs but instead release Khom Loi lanterns. They believe that these lanterns flying high will carry away their worries. Meanwhile, in Tak province, a chain of lanterns will be tied together and released simultaneously. At that moment, a glittering chain of 'Loi Krathong Sai' beads will appear in the sky...
5. Surin Elephant Festival (Thailand)
Taking place annually on the third Saturday of November in Surin (also known as Isaan), Thailand. The festival is not only famous among locals but also among foreign tourists. On this day, over 200 elephants participate in the festival, showcasing the skills they've trained throughout the year.
During the two festival days, they will demonstrate their 'talents' through dances, races, soccer matches, and even tug-of-war with humans. It's also a time to express people's love for Thailand's most cherished animals.
6. Karatsu Kunchi Festival (Japan)
In Japan, there will be four festivals taking place from November 2nd to November 4th at different locations. Among them, the Karatsu Kunchi festival is held in Karatsu city, Saga prefecture.
This festival starts on the evening of November 2nd, featuring a procession with hikiyama floats, large boats with various shapes such as Samurai helmets, carp, dragons, and other bizarre creatures.
What's special is that each float – ranging from 5 to 6 meters long – will not be lowered into the river but carried by a team of strong men, chanting loudly “En-ya! En-ya! En-ya!” (or “Yoi-sa! Yoi-sa! Yoi-sa!”).
7. Ohara Festival (Japan)
This is the largest autumn festival in Southern Kyushu, with a procession of no less than 22,000 dancers parading the streets, dancing to the folk tunes of “Ohara-bushi” and “Han'ya-bushi”. This festival attracts up to 600,000 attendees!
As for the Betchya festival, held at Kibitsu-hiko Shrine, Onomichi, Hiroshima prefecture, men will wear masks or lion-like costumes, running through crowded streets looking for children to... playfully whip with bamboo sticks.
Legend has it that children whipped in this way will not fall ill in the coming year. Additionally, there's the Awa Puppet Theatre Day, where outdoor puppet performances take place. The festival is held in Kisawa, Tokushima prefecture, on November 3rd. This is also a unique cultural aspect of Japan.
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Source: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourOctober 2, 2013
