Candle festival draws tourists to Ubon Ratchathani

Khao Phansaa or Buddhist Lent officially begins Tuesday 11.7.2006, but Thailand's faithful--and many tourists--converge on the city 630 km east-north-east of the Thai capital of Bangkok for the province's candle festival, the greatest of its kind in the predominantly Buddhist kingdom.

Annually held to mark the beginning of Buddhist Lent during which Buddhist monks 'retreat' to their temples for three months, the Candle Festival features a procession of ornately-carved traditional beeswax candles of various shapes and sizes.

Four thousand rooms at hotels, resorts and guest houses across the province were fully booked, both foreigners and Thais, who mainly travel with their families.

More buses were scheduled to carry Buddhist tourists from neighbouring Laos who crossed the border to witness the crafted candles and play a role in varied religious and cultural events related to the Buddhist heritage shared by both countries.

According to Thai tourist officials, Ubon's tourism during Buddhist lent this year is more lively than last year because the government have scheduled four consecutive public holidays, and special activities in which tourists are 'guided' to visit the province's seven communities of candle manufacturing craftsmen.

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