Champa Meuanglao
Menu
  • Home
  • Section
    • Business
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Lao Airlines
  • E-magazine
  • Contact
  • on ISSUU
  • Advertise with us!
  • ພາສາ: English
    • English English
    • ລາວ ລາວ
  • laoairlines.com
Champa Meuanglao
  • Home
  • Section
    • Business
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Lao Airlines
  • E-magazine
  • Contact
  • on ISSUU
  • Advertise with us!
  • ພາສາ: English
    • English English
    • ລາວ ລາວ
  • laoairlines.com
Festival, Travel

Rockets to Heaven, Calling for Rain

posted by Yuki
May 17, 2018 3065 0 0
Share

Each year throughout the country, between Lao New Year in mid-April to the beginning of the rainy season in June, Lao people celebrate in this hottest and driest period by launching homemade rockets (bang fai) into the sky to call for rain. The rockets are made in long lengths of PVC pipe or bamboo and paraded through villages with much fanfare, music, and dancing. In fields they are set up to launch upward to the heavens, so that they might send plentiful rain to help the coming rice crop. The festival is held locally on dates deemed to be auspicious by local monks and village elders, but there is usually at least one nearby celebration every weekend no matter where you are!

Above: Villagers set up the launching rack at a festival north of Vientiane.

Below: Spectators gather to watch and cheer for their favorite rockets.

Above: The annual festival in Vang Vieng is famous throughout the country.

Below: Rockets are usually launched in areas of mud or water – in case of any misfires or exploding rockets, the builders are dragged through the mud as a form of punishment.

Above: As rockets are used to bring rain, this festival is also a fertility rite, with phalluses paraded as well.

Below: A secret homemade gunpowder mixture is tamped into the rocket before parading to the launching rack.

 

 

Text by: JASON ROLAN

Photographs by: PHOONSAB THEVONGSA

Calling for RainRockets to Heaven
Share

Previous

[:en]Monkey Business[:la]ເລື່ອງກ້ວຍໆ[:]

Next

[:en]Village Life in Northern Laos[:]
  • English
  • ລາວ

Recent Posts

  • Forging the next Generation
  • A New Future for Ancient Heritage
  • 9 Days, 9 Provinces, 2999KM
  • A ROOM with A VIEW
  • The hidden side of the Mekong

Categories

  • Art
  • Business
  • Café
  • Festival
  • Food
  • Lao Airlines
  • Lifestyle
  • New
  • Social Enterprise
  • Stay
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • December 2021
  • September 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017

Follow Us

You Might Also Like

Travel
Feb 10, 2020

Secrets of the Stone Temple

Wat Phou reveals its true beauty and history for those who make time to visit. Tiny Champasak, gateway to a small...

Read More
0 0
Travel
Mar 9, 2018

48 Hours in Savannakhet

EAT   Lin’s Café: Located right on the Talat Yen square (soon to be the Savannakhet Night Market), Lin’s is a...

Read More
13 0
Copyrights © 2018 Champa Meuanglao. All Rights Reserved.
Website by Designix Studio
Back top