Asian Geographic - 01.01.2018

southeast asia

WHEN

The festival runs over three days in the sixth

month of the lunar calendar (May–June)

WHERE

Boun Bang Fai takes place all over Laos.

A great place to witness the event is in Muang

Nan, 75 kilometres from Luang Prabang

HOW

Buses link larger towns; you will need to

catch sawngthaews (pickup trucks) or a

samlaw (a three-wheeler) in rural areas

DOS AND DON’TS

• Do dress conservatively at sacred sites


• Don’t try building a bamboo rocket at home!

EXPERIENCE

BOUN BANG FAI

More commonly known as the Rocket

Festival, this three-day event is held

at the beginning of the wet season

in the hope of bringing good rains.

Like its name suggests, the festival

involves the preparation and launch

of homemade rockets, which are made

by stuffing decorated bamboo (lined

with PVC pipe) with gunpowder.

Sacred ceremonies take place on

the first and second days, with dancing

in elaborate masks and clothes, and

FESTIVAL MUST-SEE: BOUN BANG FAI

Laos

prayers for rain. There’s also often a

competitive procession of floats.

The real action kicks off on the

third day, as villagers from the

different communities converge on

the district launching site for the

rocket contest. Scores are ascribed

to each performance based on several

key criteria: the best rocket decoration,

the height of the launch, and the level

of entertainment for the gathered

crowd. The success of the rockets is

also judged by whether they make a

loud bang and produce an impressive

plume of smoke. The competition is

fierce: If the team fails to launch their

rocket, they’re punished with a down-

down of muddy water – or satho (local

rice whiskey). The winning team gains

much prestige and admiration.

The origin of this festival is thought

to date back to pre-Buddhist times,

derived from an ancient fertility rite

that was held to encourage rain. Once

gunpowder arrived on the scene, things

got a bit more interesting: Some locals

believe that the rockets help to “pierce

holes in the clouds” to bring on the

rains, while others suggest that the

loud bangs of the rockets rouse the

rain god from slumber.

LAOS

Muang

Nan

IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK

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