Bosang Umbrella Festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand,
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 17th January 2008 at 01:19 AM, Filed in Far East, January
Like many Thai locations, you’ll find ‘Bosang’ spelt in several different ways, including Bor Sang and Bo Sang. But however you spell it, the place is now synonymous with umbrellas, and making/selling them provides a livelihood for many of the villagers.
Bosang is only 9 kilometers outside Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, according to various legends, is a place where umbrellas have been made for centuries. Some claim the craft migrated here from China, others from Burma.
For two or three days every January the village holds a festival celebrating their local craft. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the festival is being held on the 18th, 19th and 20th of January (It usually falls on the third week-end in January).
Many villagers ‘dress up’ in their finest ‘Lanna Thai’ costumes, there is a parade of floats, a major beauty contest, folk dancing and music, and of course umbrellas. The umbrellas themselves come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, from mini cocktail umbrellas to a record breaking parasol and everything in between - sun parasols, ‘garden’ umbrellas / shades and of course umbrellas for rain. They are made from cotton, paper and silk, some plain, others beautifully hand painted with floral designs. There are plenty of opportunities to buy yourself a souvenir from the many different handicrafts on offer. The surrounding countryside is very lush and hilly and of course Chiang Mai is a ‘must see’ too, where two weeks later (the first week-end in Feb) they hold their flower annual festival.
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