I’ve never been to Boun That Luang before and my plan for this trip to Laos was to schedule Boun That Luang at the beginning of my trip, so we visited the event on November 11, 2008, the day of Vien Thien (parade) of Phasad Pheng into Pra Thatluang (That Luang Stupa), and the next day was 15 com, which is the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the twelfth month, the last day of the festival where there is almsgiving ceremony in the morning.
This is the most impressive festival I’ve ever seen, I was overwhelmed by the sight of the parade, one of the most beautiful parades I’ve ever seen in my life, and they headed toward Pra Thatluang to Wien Thien.
It is believed that if you Wien Thien (walk around) Pra Thatluang 1 time, then your life will be extended or you will live longer by 30 years, and of course, as for Wien Thien most people would walk around Pra Thatluang 3 times, but I only get to walk around Pra Thatluang 1 time before paying my respect, then walked around 2 more times to take pictures.
Outside Pra Thatluang there were people getting their wrists tied with white and yellow ropes by white nuns for good luck.
And some would free a bird from a cage for good luck.
Boun That Luang is also known for its food, and some would attend the event just for the food and there were plenty, even the exotic one.
We left before dust, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I had a great time.
10 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 8, 2008 at 4:17 am
Laos » Boun That Luang 2008 « Nye Noona
[...] Boun That Luang 2008 « Nye NoonaI’ve never been to Boun That Luang before and my plan for this trip to Laos was to schedule Boun That Luang at the beginning of my trip, so we visited the event on November 11, 2008, the day of Vien Thien (parade) of Phasad Pheng into … [...]
December 9, 2008 at 9:10 pm
ascandaloussin
welcome back Ginger!!! Sure do miss your post!
December 10, 2008 at 12:11 am
Ginger
Thanks ascandaloussin, happy to be back.
December 12, 2008 at 2:27 am
Global Voices Online » Laos: Boun That Luang festival
[...] Noona attended and was impressed by the Boun That Luang festival in Laos. Posted by Mong Palatino Print Version Share [...]
December 12, 2008 at 5:43 am
Anan. O.
Very great pictures, thanks for sharing
the pics of the 2 kids are so cute lol,
and the foods, looks yummi yummi :p kalapao, bamboo rices :p
December 13, 2008 at 3:08 am
Ginger
Hi Anan.O. thanks for the visit, and I’m glad that you like the photos. I stood there for awhile before I got the little girl’s attention, but it’s worth the wait.
December 27, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Patuxay Monument Vientiane’s Own Arc de Triomphe « Nye Noona
[...] finally get to visit Patuxay on November 10, 2008, the day before we visited Boun That Luang, my dad and I took the local bus from Paksan into Vientiane for a day, it was our first time being [...]
January 4, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Wat Prabath Phonsanh and the Legend of Naga - Part I Wat Prabath « Nye Noona
[...] What got me curious about this temple was when we passed the temple by car, all my relatives would put their hands in a wai position (upside down Y) to show respect, and they’d do this every time when they pass the temple. My relatives explained to me that it is the most sacred temple in the area, and when they have Boun (Buddhist Festival), it’s almost as crowded as Boun That Luang. [...]
January 22, 2009 at 7:33 pm
All Good Things Must Come to an End « Nye Noona
[...] think the best time that I had was at Boun That Luang, it is such a beautiful ceremony and I had never seen anything like this before in my [...]
March 6, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Tuff-N-Lite: Futuristic Body Armor, without the ‘Alien Cyborg’ look « Nye Noona
[...] my opinion if you’re out on the dark road. This made me think of the time when we drove back from Boun That Luang, one guy that we passed was riding a moped, and he didn’t even have a tail light on, sort of [...]