Come to Laos to enjoy the That Luang festival.

That Luang Festival is the largest and most important Buddhist festival of the year for the Lao people. The festival is held at Pha That Luang and usually lasts for a week.

That Luang, in Lao, means "Great Stupa." Legend says that That Luang was built in 236 Buddhist Era. With its architecture deeply rooted in Lao culture and identity, That Luang has long been a symbol of the Lao nation and embodies a part of Buddhist teachings. Every year, the That Luang Festival (Bun That Luang) is eagerly awaited by people in Laos as well as Laotians living abroad.

This festival has long been regarded as a celebration of national reunion and unity, an annual event of significant cultural, historical, and spiritual importance.

One of the main features of the That Luang ceremony is the procession of the Pha Sat Phong (tower procession) from the Temple of Our Lady of Muang to That Luang. The Pha Sat Phong is a model of a temple made of foam, surrounded by bright yellow beeswax flowers. Nine white lotus flowers are placed on top, and the tower is surrounded by flower-decorated or money-making tassels, symbolizing the Vietnamese custom of burning houses and money for the deceased.

Upon arriving at That Luang, the procession will carry the Phạ Sạt Phơng around That Luang three times before stopping at the rear hall to offer the gifts, which are then received by the monks in a solemn, respectful, and reverent manner. According to custom, each family, village, or group of people can jointly offer one Phạ Sạt Phơng.

The celebratory part of That Luang includes entertainment, cultural and sporting activities, trade, and exhibitions. In the cultural performances at the festival, the Lao people pay special attention to performing, preserving, and conserving famous folk songs and dances that are characteristic of Lao customs and traditions, such as lam luong (narrative poetry), lam toi, and other local lam styles.

The final night of the festival will feature a candle procession where thousands of Buddhists, carrying lit candles, walk around the lawns within the That Luang complex, creating a magical and beautiful scene that adds to the sacred atmosphere of this already mysterious area of ​​the land of a million elephants.

Every year, the That Luang festival concludes with a colorful fireworks display, a promise to visitors not to forget to return for the festival next year.

This year, the That Luang festival will be held from November 16th to November 22nd, 2018.

Phuong Ngoc