The Poy Sang Long Festival

Poy Sang Long Ceremony:

The Poi Sang Long Festival is a Buddhist novice ordination ceremony for young boys aged between seven and 14 years of age of the Thai Yai ethic group in northern Thailand.It consists of taking novice monastic vows and participating in monastery life for a period of time that can vary from a week to many months or more. Usually, a large group of boys are ordained as novice monks at the same time.

Poi Sang Long is such a unique event that it attracts a lot of visitors. On the third day the novices are ordained and enter the monastery for a period of at least one week, and sometimes many years. The boys are beautifully dressed up and the festival is very colorful. 

Below is the program of Poy Sang Long. It is worth visiting the temples at any time during the day or the evening. There are stalls selling food, books, clothing, CD's, souvenirs, etc.. Please dress politely and be considerate when taking pictures.The festival follows a three day program.

Day 1: Rup San Long day

The young participants are the focus of family feasting and gift giving before the boys are escorted to the temple and be ritually cleansed and anointed by bathing in sacred lustral water. Then, the boys are lavishly made up and dressed to look princes of a bygone era. Following by the Buddhist Ceremony and food offering to the monkIn the afternoon, the celebration begins with a procession accompanied by the sounds of flutes, lutes, fiddles, drums and cymbals. In the procession, each boy is accompanied by three attendants: one to carry him, another to shelter him from the sun with a tall gold umbrella, and the third to guard the precious jewels.

Day 2: Kham Kaek day

There will be opening ceremony and the procession around town with evening cultural performances and traditional music at te temple.

Day 3: Hae Khrua Lu day

The last day begins with the procession of the boys to the temple for ordination. At the temple, the boys ask permission to be ordained from the senior monks. Once accepted, the boys then take vows, change the princely attires to yellow robes and become full novices.