Moon-related festivals in ASEAN countries

On the occasion of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, let's come to know some other moon-related festivals in the ASEAN countries.

Thailand---Moon Festival

Sawaddi-ka! Welcome to Thailand.

Moon Festival in Thailand is similar to the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. If you are in Thailand then, you’ll surely see the lanterns on the streets.

When the moon rises, peaches, moon cakes and other dishes will be set on a table.
Families and relatives will gather at the table to pray, with the full moon in sight.

If you are in Bangkok, you can go to the Gulf of Thailand and board the princess cruise to watch the moon with the crowd.

You can also join the Full Moon Party, an all-night beach party that takes place once a month on the crescent-shaped beach of Haad Rin. DJs play a variety of musical styles including trance, dubstep, reggae and techno to crowds decked out in neon.

Across Thailand, you can look up and see a beautiful moon.

Myanmar---Lighting Festival

Mingalapar! Welcome to Myanmar.

Myanmar locals don’t celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, but they have Lighting Festival on the full moon day.

This year’s Lighting Festival of Myanmar, also called the Thadingyut Festival, falls on October 23-25.

Lighting Festival is held to mark the full moon day of the Myanmar lunar month of Thadingyut, which is the end of Buddhist lent, and is the celebration to welcome the Buddha's descent from heaven.

On the festival nights, all the houses and public buildings, parks, and monuments of Myanmar are colourfully illuminated everywhere.

Stages are set up for performances and dramas, and folks worship Buddha in the temples aross the country. What a moving scene!

You can visit Taunggyi for the Tazaungdaing Festival on November 21 or 22, which is also held on the full moon day and full of local flavors.

Like the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, the Taunggyi festival is an occasion to celebrate the harvest.

At night, tourist crowds stop to watch are colorful lights and rising lanterns.

Vietnam---Mid-Autumn Festival

Welcome to Vietnam.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tết Trung Thu, in Vietnam is marked on the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar.
But the Vietnamese festival is also known as Children's Festival. Parents buy their children various types of lanterns, snacks and funny masks.

Regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival, Vietnam also has a beautiful legend similar to Chang’e flying to the moon.

Once, there was a man called Cuội, whose wife accidentally urinated on a sacred banyan tree. The tree began to float towards the moon, and Cuội, trying to pull it back down to earth, floated to the moon with it. At last, he was stranded there.

At night, the adults will tell kids the story about Mr. Cuoi and Ms.Hang Nga – beautiful daughter of the Jade Empire.
Some kids choose to go out for fun, taking a carp-shaped lantern that indicates they can be somebody when growing up.

Cambodia---Water Festival

Sampeah！

There is no Mid-Autumn Festival in Cambodia, but the moon is worshiped in the Cambodian Water Festival.

The Water Festival, or Bon Om Touk, is one of the biggest celebrations in Cambodia, marked yearly in October or November. In 2018, the festival takes place from November 22-24.

In the morning, boat races are held on the Mekong River to celebrate a said Khmer military victory in the 12th century.

At night, folks let go candles or lights on the Tonle Sap River.

The candle base is made of banana leaves and glutinous rice, and the lights are decorated with exquisite offerings.

All form a moving scene on the river.

By Chen Canxia and Wang Shixue