April 2011

Festivals & Events

Rockets to Rock Laos:

Every May, Lao people across the country gather in fields near their villages to launch homemade rockets during Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival). These wood and bamboo projectiles are not glorified fireworks, but true missiles that vanish into the sky, and villages compete for the "best decorated" and the "highest traveling" rocket. The Rocket Festival is held on various dates throughout the country, and it is best to check with provincial visitor centers for the correct days and locations.

For Muang Sing District in Luang Namtha Province, Boun Bang Fai, being held this year on Saturday, 7 May, is the biggest festival of the year, and it attracts people from around Luang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces as well as Yunnan, China. Those attending will not only see spectacular launches, but they can try local food, watch the religious ceremony, mingle with different ethnic minorities, and just plain jump into the party.

For more information on Muang Sing's Rocket Festival, click here.