That Luang Festival is the biggest and most important Buddhist festival of the year for Lao people. The festival is held at Pha That Luang and usually lasts for a week.
That Luang in Lao means “Big Stupa”. According to legend, That Luang was built in 236 Buddhist year. With its architecture imbued with Lao culture and identity, That Luang has long been a symbol of the Lao people, and at the same time represents a part of Buddhist teachings. Every year, the That Luang festival (Bun That Luang) is eagerly awaited by the people in the country as well as Lao people abroad.
This festival has long been considered a day of national reunion and solidarity, an annual event with important cultural, historical and spiritual significance.
One of the main features of the That Luang ceremony is the procession of Pha Sat Phong (the stupa procession) from Mother Xi Muong Pagoda to That Luang. Pha Sat Phong is a model of a temple made of foam material, surrounded by bright yellow beeswax flowers. On the top are nine white lotus flowers, and around the stupa are tassels of flowers or money, which have the same meaning as the Vietnamese custom of burning houses, money... for the deceased.
Upon arriving at That Luang, the procession will carry the Pha Sat Phong around That Luang three times before stopping at the back hall to offer offerings and the monk will receive the offerings in a solemn, serious, and respectful manner. According to custom, each family, village or group of people... can jointly offer a Pha Sat Phong.
The festival part of That Luang includes entertainment, cultural and sports activities, trading of goods and exhibitions. In the art performances at the festival, Lao people pay special attention to performing, preserving and conserving famous folk songs and dances that are typical of Lao customs and practices such as lam luong (singing poetry), lam toi and other local types of lam.
The final night of the festival will feature a candle procession, with thousands of Buddhists holding lit candles and walking around the grassy area inside That Luang, creating a magically beautiful scene, adding to the sacred atmosphere of this mysterious area of the land of a million elephants.
Every year, the That Luang festival ends with a colorful fireworks competition as a promise to visitors not to forget to come to the festival next year.
This year, the That Luang festival will be held from November 16 to 22, 2018.
.jpg.jpg)
