Princes to monks

The poisanlong festival is a Thai yearly buddhist festival. It is a unique ceremony and boys 7-14 are dressed and painted in feminine clothings and paraded as princes for 3 days and then undergo a sudden transformation. This copy is a single file with better resolution

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Travel & Events

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• buddhism
• Thailand

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Sawadee,

Some of information that you said are not correct. Here are some back ground for Poy San Long story from Shan people.

The Shan, ancestrally known as Thai Yai, are close cousins of the Thai people, which is not surprising as country boundaries were extremely fluid in former times.

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The festival of Poy Sang Long is essentially Thai Yai (as are the words in proper Thai it is called Buad Look Kaew) and means "ordaining the beloved sons". The Thai Yai, like their full-Thai cousins, are devout Buddhists who annually present young sons (ages ranging from 10 - 14 years) to be ordained as novices.The boys, and their parents, earn merit from this act of devotion while the boys also learn the tenets of Buddhist teaching and the self-discipline required of a monk.

[SaiSaiTip]

During the school break between late March to early April, the Shan (Thai Yai in Thai) ethnic group in Mae Hong Son province hold a special religious ceremony called 'Poy Sang Long'. Also, throughout the neighboring towns, whether it be the towns of Mae Sariang, Mae Lanoy, Khun Yuam or the provincial city of Mae Hong Sorn, young boys will participate in the traditional ceremonials which are bright with color and Thai Yai culture.

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The origins of this festival lie in Buddhist legend. It is believed that the tradition is probably following in the footsteps of Prince Rahula, the Buddha's own son, who gave up his worldly life to follow his father's spiritual teachings. Prince Rahula became the youngest ordained monk and the first novice in Buddhism. Subsequently it became a tradition that young boys should ordain to learn Buddhist teachings.

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With such high reverence to the Buddhist religion, the people here consider that the celebrations should be as grand as possible. The festival lasts for three days. On the first day, the boys have their heads shaved. Then, they are bathed and anointed with special waters and dressed up elegantly and colorfully while their faces are superbly embellished.

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By this time, the boys are known locally as 'Sang Long' or 'Look Kaew' (Jewelled Prince). On the second day, a colorful procession is held displaying offerings for the monks. On the third day, the procession once again proceeds through the town and the boys are taken to the temples for the formal ordination ceremony.

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Once inside the temple, each boy will ask the Abbott for permission to be ordained. With permission granted, the boy will take vows and then divest himself of his colourful finery in exchange for the humble saffron robes of a Buddhist novice. And here, in the temple, the boy novice will remain for at least one month.

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During this time he will follow the routines of temple life, learning from and watching his elders as he absorbs the essential foundations for a responsible and rewarding adulthood.

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This is not only Look Kaew will go through the ceremony of Poy Sang Long but also the ceremony of Jaang Long will take place. This is a ceremony for a mature novice of 20 years old who went through Poy Sang Long in the past and has chosen to be ordained as a monk today.

Mai Soong Kha