January

This festival is usually held in the 3rd week of January in the village of Bo Sang where hundreds of pretty local girls hold umbrellas in a very colorful parade and beauty pageant.

It origins are purely cultural and is as much for the local people as it is for visitors. Over the years the tiny village has become synonymous with umbrella making and is now a well known tourist attraction in itself.

Today, Bor Sang village exports both Saa-paper and silk umbrellas. They are seen at trade shows in a variety of sizes, from giant parasols that offer a shady canopy from the sun, to miniscule variations that adorn popular cocktail drinks.

To celebrate success the village hosts a three-day festival every January. Streets are illuminated by lanterns, while hundreds of umbrellas are hung from the rafters and beams of houses and shops. Bands play, while villagers compete to design the year’s most attractive umbrella. Concerts, a food festival and beauty contest all compete for the attention of the audience, a mix of both tourists and residents, who gather here to celebrate Bor Sang’s innovative handicraft skills.

Throughout the year, tourists visit the village, a short 6 km drive from Chiang Mai, to buy umbrellas and study the process and skills that go into making a handicraft entirely from natural products. But nothing quite compares with the buzz that permeates the village during this colourful three-day handicraft festival, every January. It is a scene that represents village hospitality and charm at its very best.

For more information TAT Chiang Mai Office, Tel. 66 (0) 5324 8604, 5324 8607, 5324 1466

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