Chao Phraya River Light Festival showcases the charm of Thailand’s history and culture

China News Service, Bangkok, November 13 (Li Yingmin, Wang Qian, Liang Junxiang) The month-long Chao Phraya River Light Festival in Thailand kicked off on the evening of the 13th. With the theme of "Light of Imagination", the event uses lighting, color, music and multimedia technology to decorate the historical landmarks and cultural landscapes on both sides of the Chao Phraya River into a light and shadow stage.

On the same day, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak, other cabinet members, and diplomatic envoys from various countries in Thailand took a boat to experience the light festival activities.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, this year is the fifth consecutive year that the event has been held. A total of 19 light display points have been set up, extending from the Rama VIII Bridge to the Rama III Bridge along the Chao Phraya River, covering bridges, temples, museums, historical buildings and riverside attractions. The event uses various forms such as light and sound performances, architectural projections, installation art and modern sculptures to combine Thai historical and cultural elements with modern technology.

Among them, the Rama VIII Bridge will stage a laser light show, the sky above Wat Arun will present a light show composed of more than 800 drones, and the Karayanami Temple will arrange a Thai traditional cultural performance. Fireworks displays will also be held at various locations along the Chao Phraya River. All events are free and open to the public.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand stated that this light festival aims to use the festival economy to drive the year-end tourism market, further develop night tourism, extend tourists’ stay in Bangkok, and promote consumption in hotels, restaurants, cruise ships and local merchants along the Chao Phraya River.

It is predicted that this light festival is expected to attract more than 1.4 million tourists and drive economic circulation of at least 8.6 billion baht (approximately 1.72 billion yuan). The Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes that through such large-scale festivals, Thailand's cultural heritage, historical features and riverside lifestyle will be transformed into tourist attractions, and the tourism industry will shift from pursuing the number of tourists to focusing on tourism value.

This light festival will last until December 13, and will be held from 18:00 to 22:00 every night.