Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand 15 Nov 2024

Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

As twilight descends today, Chiang Mai, Thailand"s second-largest city, will come alive with thousands of glowing lanterns for Yi Peng. Held on the full moon of the second month of the Lanna lunar calendar—a calendar that dates to the medieval Lanna Kingdom of Northern Thailand—this celebration signifies the removal of negativity and the embrace of new beginnings. The highlight of the festival is the release of "khom loi" or "khom loy"—floating paper lanterns—into the night sky, creating a beautiful sight as the heavens fill with a sea of warm, golden lights. Locals and visitors gather around temples and palaces to send their wishes skyward, hoping for good fortune in the year to come.

© tampatra/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

All going swimmingly
15 Nov 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
15 Nov 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

10 Sep 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
Shell-ebrating sea turtles
19 Nov 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
25 Oct 2024Frankenstein Friday
18 Nov 2024Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales
The glowing winter
23 Sep 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Finding maths in nature
13 Jul 2025International Rock Day
Sep 1, 2023National Mushroom Month
A peck between penguins
Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day
12 Mar 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
King of the jungle? Nope
7 Jun 2024World Oceans Day
6 Oct 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
30 Apr 2025International Jazz Day
Black History Month begins
So good, they built it twice
Mountains of sand
26 Sep 2023Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
Perfect, pastoral Palouse
20 Nov 2025World in Progress by artist Saype in Geneva, Switzerland
21 Oct 2024Cypress trees in George L Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Farewell Ma’am
30 Dec 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
11 Sep 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
Best views tower
30 Apr 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
27 Jan 2024Saint Paul Winter Carnival