Poi Sang Long Festival

Photos and Words by Dave Stamboulis

Around the World Through a Photographer’s Lens is a weekly feature from Award Wiinning travel photographer and writer, Dave Stamboulis. Every Monday afternoon you can find Dave’s work here at Vagobond. See the world through a photographer’s lens.

Festivals play a big part in SE Asian life. Every season or Buddhist holiday heralds a new festival. Here are a few of them…

1) A young boy becoming a novice monk at Poi Sang Long Festival in Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Getting the head shaved is the first step to becoming a novice monk.

2) Songkran New Year, also known as the Water Festival, celebrated with vigor in Luang Prabang, Laos

3) Songkran in Thailand involves massive drenching

4) The Rocket Festival is celebrated before planting season and features plenty of home made rockets to go with the festivities, held both in Thailand and in Laos

5) Young novice monks to be at Poi Sang Long, which comes from the Burmese Shan State

6) The entire town of Mae Hong Song celebrates Poi Sang Long, during which time the novice monks are not allowed to touch the ground for 3 days, and are carried throughout the town by their relatives and friends

7) Hmong girls celebrating the new year in Luang Prabang, Laos