Every year the square around the Golden Stupa in Vientiane turns into a huge hype for almost a week: During the country’s most important Buddhist festival, the That Luang Festival, the city is in a kind of a state of emergency.
The Pha That Luang temple is of immense spiritual importance for the Laotians After all Buddha is said to have personally visited the place and predicted the construction of the shrine. As a national symbol and the most important religious monument in the country, it enjoys great popularity all year round. On the day of the full moon of the 12th lunar month, however, thousands of people, both Laotians and tourists, meet here to experience the multi-day Boun That Luang Festival.
Spiritual Importance of That Luang Festival
The festival kicks off with the two-day Phasat Pheung or Wax Castle procession around Wat Simeuang Temple. As the home temple of Vientiane’s city pillar, it plays an important role in the spiritual life of the Laotians. During the procession, thousands of Laotians bring arrangements of yellow petals, banana leaves, pens and incense sticks, the so-called wax castles, to the temple as offerings to Buddha. Accompanied by traditional music, the singing of the monks and Laotian folk songs, the gifts are carried three times clockwise around the temple and then deposited there.
The participants in the procession wear their most beautiful and often traditional clothing. Therefore, the time of the festival has a magical attraction, especially for tourists. It also offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in Laotian culture. But it is also a unique time for the local population, in which solidarity between the individual communities is celebrated and people from different parts of the country and with different cultural backgrounds come together to pay homage to Buddha.
Laotian Families Use the Festival for Reunions
The following morning it was time to take food and donate to the monks who had traveled from all over the country. Afterwards, a picnic together offers the opportunity to meet and chat with the family. In addition to a large craft market and a hype, the time of the festival is also accompanied by numerous concerts before the festivities come to an end on the full moon evening with a last candle procession and a large firework display.
Tip: Due to the extremely high number of visitors from both domestic and foreign travelers, it is essential to take care of accommodation early on at the time of the That Luang Festival.
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For a few nice impressions of the That Luang Festival, we recommend the following Youtube-Video.