Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand Nov 15, 2024

Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

As twilight descends today, Chiang Mai, Thailand"s second-largest city, will come alive with thousands of glowing lanterns for Yi Peng. Held on the full moon of the second month of the Lanna lunar calendar—a calendar that dates back to the medieval Lanna Kingdom of Northern Thailand—this celebration signifies the removal of negativity and the embrace of new beginnings. The highlight of the festival is the release of "khom loi" or "khom loy"—floating paper lanterns—into the night sky, creating a beautiful sight as the heavens fill with a sea of warm, golden lights. Locals and visitors gather around temples and palaces to send their wishes skyward, hoping for good fortune in the year to come. In addition to the lantern release, the city is adorned with vibrant parades, traditional dance performances and stunning decorations.

© tampatra/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

You otter check this out
Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Nov 15, 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 14, 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Nov 6, 2025The temple of Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Thailand
Feb 28, 2025Tibetan New Year
‘Night shining’ clouds
Nov 12, 2024Vineyards in Varnhalt, Black Forest, Germany
Dec 16, 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
Apr 9, 2025Naxos, Cyclades, Greece
Jan 16, 2026Leopard at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Celebrating the tropics
Jun 27, 2026Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina, United States
Dec 27, 2025Plate ice along Lake Superior, Minnesota, United States
Sep 26, 2023Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
Oct 26, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Apr 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan, New York, USA
A very public display of affection
Oct 6, 2026International Geodiversity Day
A pink moon over Arizona
This island is more than a mile high
Check out these ‘sea cows’
Gateway to Iberia
Aug 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Aug 20, 2025The citadel in Bonifacio, Southern Corsica, France
Sep 24, 2023World Rivers Day
Apr 11, 2024Eid al-Fitr
Welcome to the worlds yoga capital
Amber waves of grain
A remote oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert
Nov 28, 2023Varandha Ghat,Bhor,Maharashtra, India