Every spring, Yasothon province in northeastern Thailand celebrates Bun Bang Fai, one of Thailand’s most unusual and spectacular festivals.
This year, the event will be held on 11 – 13 May. Thousands of hand-crafted bamboo rockets will explode into the sky over Phaya Thaen public park, asking Phaya Thaen, the god of rain, to produce precipitation over the land before planting season. The legend goes that one year the god forgot about Isan region, and the resultant drought caused much hardship. Ever since, the people of Isan have launched homemade rockets to remind Phaya Thaen of their presence and call for rain.
The event features contests, including a team competition for the highest flying and the most sophisticated rockets, as well as a flamboyant parade, a light-and-sound show, and a rocket-making class.
Participants prepare for the festival well in advance, creating rockets, decorating floats, and setting up launch pads. An average rocket is 9 m long and carries 20-25 kg of gunpowder.