Loi Kratong Yee Peng Ceremony at Mae Jo

[watgate]

I've gone to the real event the past 4 years ( not the one where you have to pay 100 dollars) and my g/f said there were lots of Chinese there last year. In fact you could see Chinese written on many of the Kom Loys. I imagine this years paid version will undoubtedly be filled my lots of Chinese who must see this once yearly spectacle. I agree with the only one exit scenario and in prior years as we were slowly filtering out it was a massive crush of humanity. I must admit I was concerned because all it would have taken was for some idiot to start throwing fireworks into the crowd and there would have been bedlam in the narrow corridor. I could see serious potential problems if all the people trying to get out were spooked and one can only imagine what could happen as 1000's of folks started pushing and shoving to get out.

[Genericnic]

I've done the last 3 of the non-tourist Yee Pings at Mae Jo. It was always worth the hassle of dealing with the crowds but I think I'll skip the upcoming one.

I do a lot of photography and I'll really miss the khom loy but I'll miss the people more. These pictures are from the last one I went to and I had great fun taking pictures of the people and their lanterns but my best picture was the one I got when I looked behind me and saw the monks enchanted by the sights. Those are the things I will miss most.

David

[WaiLai]

Bottom line for me is that it is too cheesy and commercialized to have any significance. Just a photo-op really. But if anyone does go, my advice is to wear a hat. Shortly after the mass release, there's a rain of hot paraffin and ash dripping from the sky. It's like napalm, and it sends people running for their cars. The serenity of the photo op gets shattered pretty quickly. If you bring a young child, you'll probably carry him or her on your shoulders to navigate the crowd, so make sure the kid has a wide-brimmed hat, too.

The purpose of LK or Yee Peng is to float your bad karma away (as if such a thing were in any way possible according to the Dharma), on the water or the air. From a Buddhist point of view, it's a personal, individual act, not a communal one. It's not like going Christmas caroling. In Buddhism, your karma is your own. It doesn't matter if you float a rubber ducky with a candle in its beak in your bathtub, or shell out a hundred bucks to try to burn down someone else's house (sala cafe last year, the old palace by the river before that).

As for me, I'll be on the porch with a copy of the mahaparinibbana suttanta, a blunt, and a garden hose.

speaking of blunts - well written and an invigorating final statement

[heybruce]

Normally people would have posted pictures and comments by now, but these aren't normal times. Did anyone go to it?

On a related note, the restrictions on lanterns seem to be effective, I haven't seen a single one. This will be the dullest Loi Kratong ever.

[WaiLai]

Bottom line for me is that it is too cheesy and commercialized to have any significance. Just a photo-op really. But if anyone does go, my advice is to wear a hat. Shortly after the mass release, there's a rain of hot paraffin and ash dripping from the sky. It's like napalm, and it sends people running for their cars. The serenity of the photo op gets shattered pretty quickly. If you bring a young child, you'll probably carry him or her on your shoulders to navigate the crowd, so make sure the kid has a wide-brimmed hat, too.

The purpose of LK or Yee Peng is to float your bad karma away (as if such a thing were in any way possible according to the Dharma), on the water or the air. From a Buddhist point of view, it's a personal, individual act, not a communal one. It's not like going Christmas caroling. In Buddhism, your karma is your own. It doesn't matter if you float a rubber ducky with a candle in its beak in your bathtub, or shell out a hundred bucks to try to burn down someone else's house (sala cafe last year, the old palace by the river before that).

As for me, I'll be on the porch with a copy of the mahaparinibbana suttanta, a blunt, and a garden hose.

About 8 years ago I went out for Loy Krathong and at some point ended up on Sapaan Narawat. This was a time when it was still reasonably fun to be out without the crazy crowds of people like today. All of a sudden 3 Thais came running over to me and started fanning me and hitting me with jackets. People were staring at me. One guy poured water on my back. I honestly had no idea what was going on! Turns out that some of that napalm-like substance landed on the back of my shirt and my shirt was on fire. Funny thing was I didn't feel the heat or notice the flame at all!

Stupidly I was wearing my favorite Italian shirt that cost me more than 100 Euros in Italy. Lesson learned...wear cheap clothes on Loy Krathong.

Yes, avoid the Mae Jo thing. It was fun 6-8 years ago. Now it's a circus for Chinese tourists (and very dangerous place to be should there be a fire). There is only one exit and in a panic there could be a stampede in the darkness.

Chinese tourists!

You don't say!

There will be no end to the madness now!

While living Tainan, Taiwan, I and several friends would attend the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. Check it out on YouTube! Yes, the Chinese very much like their fireworks!

quoted from the www. "The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival attracts thousands of visitors by being the 5th most dangerous festival in the world."

Edited November 21, 2015 by WaiLai