Shans throw season's last novice party

No.08 - 4/2007
20 April 2007
Culture
 
Shans throw season's last novice party
 
Shans in Thailand will be holding a 5-day celebration, 21-25 April, to ordain their young male children as novice monks at its northern border district of Wiang Haeng in Chiangmai province.
 
Shans elsewhere in Chiangmai, Chiangrai and Maehongson, provinces that share boundaries with Burma's Shan State have already observed the season's novitiation.
 
96 boys in the district's northernmost village Piangluang shall be dressed in traditional princely attire and honored for 4 days before being ordained as novices on the last day. The whole event will be presided over by Chao Tawatwong na Chiangmai, himself a descendant of the princely Kengtung House.
 
Piangluang is 161 km north of Chiangmai. There are 3 lodging houses in the district: Khoom Wiang Haeng, Chiangtung House and Piangluang Guesthouse (053-476066). The district seat is only 18 km away from the venue.