Laos villagers hope for rain during vibrant rocket festival

While travelling in Northern Laos, nomadic photographer Claudio Sieber came across Boun Bang Fai - Rocket Festival - and decided to document the vibrant event in a village called Muang Sing.

The Rocket Festival is traditionally practiced by ethnic Lao people throughout Laos and parts of Thailand.

In the lead up to the rocket launches, festival goers engage in music and dance processions in colourful costume and some larger areas have full parades complete with extravagant floats.

Sieber said: “Everything was well prepared, ethnic minorities performed traditional dances or just danced for fun.

“The rockets are usually bought from a team, since it’s quite pricey - $2-500 per rocket. Once a team leader decides on a purchase, he’s carried around on a howdah - chair-like thing - and gets the honour of launching the rocket.”

The rockets are made out of huge bamboo trunks and are decorated with flags and vibrant fabrics before their launch.

Before the event can begin, revellers build huge launching towers which can take up to three days to complete.

Claudio added: “The further the rocket goes, the luckier the upcoming year. It’s considered bad luck if the rocket explodes at the launching spot or crashes down soon after launch.

“In other areas, the festivities start a day earlier and the Laotians either present their self-made rockets on floats, trucks, tractors or trailers or venture around from door to door collecting money or rice wine.”

After a two day build up, the rockets are launched using a trigger at the bottom and the celebrations come to a climax as the god of Rain is asked to deliver healthy rains for the upcoming year.