ACCESSORIES - Sky Lanterns
The History Of Khoom Fay (Sky Lanterns) Launching Sky Lanterns is one of the most renowned folk activities, during the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival in Taiwan.
Sky Lanterns date back hundreds of years, when armies employed them as signalling devices and later were adopted by common folk, who used them to convey their wishes to heaven.
The locals believe floating candles (Sky Lanterns) offer poignancy and tranquility and the strings of breathtaking stars bring back all your ancestral spirits.
Many people celebrate the annual Yipeng Lantern Festival. Yipeng means the full moon of the twelfth lunar month in the Buddhist Calendar or the second lunar in Asia.
Others may also celebrate this festival as a tribute to chulam anee stupa in the heavens. Locals believe that the launching of Khoom Loy, or floating lanterns into the sky would rid them of all their troubles. Moreover, if the lanterns are offered to monks, they will receive wisdom in return as the flame in the lantern is said to symbolize knowledge and the light will guide them to the right path of their lives.
If these lanna style balloons, which are made with mulberry paper and bamboo frame rise high and reveal far, it indicates prosperity. It is thought they could rise as high as 1.250 metres, and to travel vast distances.
The local folk in Asia believe that as the Sky Lantern rise, it takes away their troubles and brings good luck in the future.
In the year of the Sheep, 2005, the number of lanterns launched reached 200,000 each floating heavenward with its own small wish.
The above is just a insight into the history of Khoom Fay (Sky Lanterns) which hopefully you found interesting and will stir your emotions to delve further into this unique experience
