Pilgrims of Faith

A few days before the end of Buddhist Lent, devotees in Mae Hong Son gather at temples to build castles. Using bamboo frames delicately adorned with colourful papers in Tai style, they try to make the castles look as beautiful as possible, which indeed they are. It is a reflection of their artistry and communal harmony prevailing among townspeople. However, you’ll find among this crowd individuals or groups offering castle-building services for a price, like this one: prices range from 1,500 baht for a small one to 9,000 baht for a large specimen.

Local women dressed in traditional attire carry ‘money trees’ to which you can make a donation by attaching a banknote to one of the branches. The proceeds go to a temple.

The castles are adorned with food and fruit destined for monks in temples, to which you can contribute by adding your favourite snack, instant noodle or even banana.

Everything in place, the parade gets going. Revellers take their clue from bands blaring at full blast, with music and dancing adding to the merriment and cheerful atmosphere.

At dusk locals take their castles to the town’s main thoroughfare where they wait to join the parade that kick off around the same time. Large castles are mounted on pick-ups, but the smaller ones are handcarried

On the morning of the end of lent period, locals donning traditional attire line up at the mountaintop Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu, the most scared temple in town, to make merit by offering alms to monks.

Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu is at its busiest this time of year, with every inch of space from the temple to the foot of the mountain taken up, as people queue up to offers prayers and food to monks.

Every family in Mae Hong Son holds a Chongpara of its own, decorating the castles with small banana trees and sugar cane.

According to Samak Sooksi, who has been making paper castles for two decades, all specimen are built in Tai style. He and his team, being veterans in the field, are adept at their trade; however, it can still take them up to a week to complete a big castle with lots of details.

The Chongpara Festival is a very special time for Mae Hong Son residents who come out in force, dressed in traditional costume, to celebrate to the accompaniment of dancing and music all night.

When darkness descends the castles set the town aglow with their vibrant, colourful lighting. Floats of paper castles weaving their way around town is easily the most lively part of the celebration.

Speaking of mobility, tall castles are handicapped by low wiring of telephone lines and electricity cables as the parade passes through small, narrow lanes. But don’t worry, the locals have figured a way around: the upper decks of tall castles can fold down.