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

© tampatra/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

All going swimmingly
15 Nov 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
15 Nov 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

29 Aug 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
8 Aug 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
8 Jul 2024Blueberries growing in the wild
Rolling hills and charming villages
23 May 2025World Turtle Day
1 Jul 2025Happy Canada Day!
Dare to delve into this dense swamp
A high-flying royal tradition
A legendary islet
A curious little otter pup
20 Dec 2025Christmas star lanterns, Germany
20 Aug 2024Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
1 May 2024Lei Day
13 Apr 2024Grand National
15 Jan 2025266 years of the British Museum
Winter wonderland
8 Sep 2025International Literacy Day
17 Feb 2025Jorvik Viking Festival
4 Jan 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Waterfall capital of the world?
18 Jul 2024Coral Reef Awareness Week
Solo on the savanna
2 Jan 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
14 May 2024Carlsbad Caverns National Park
5 Apr 2024The Bahamas
May the 4th be with you
27 Nov 2023Rio Negro
15 Dec 2023SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
28 Oct 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
29 Oct 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal