Thailand's Poy Sang Long Festival

The three day festival, which is celebrated among the Shan people of south east Asia, is a right of passage ceremony practiced by boys going on to become novice monks.

During the celebration boys between the age of seven and 14 are paraded around their town by members of their family before they take the holy vows and are ordained as novice monks.

Thai photographer Nuttawut Jaroenchai travelled to the north of Thailand to experience the special event first hand, which is exclusively practiced by the Shan ethnic group.

He said: “I first saw this festival in Myanmar when I visited the country in 2016. I was very intrigued by the festival and asked my Myanmese friend about the festival. When I came back to Thailand I searched on the internet and found that Thailand also has the festival in the north.”

Over the course of the three days the boys go through a series of different rituals each of which prepare them for their new lives as novice monks.

Dressed to the nines in elaborate clothes and thick make-up the boys first have to make public apologies to their parents for any wrong doing they’ve done in their lives.

The origin of this tradition has been lost in time however and they’re dressed in this way to represent Prince Siddhartha other wise known as the Buddha.

Nuttawut said: “Nobody knows when the tradition of the festival first started however it’s origins are in Shan State in Myanmar and they have continued the tradition to the present day.”

Each boy is then carried on the shoulders of a family member as their feet are not allowed to touch the ground except for inside a temple or home.

This is due to the fact that they are seen as princes and are therefore treated accordingly.

During the procession the boys are treated to the traditional music of the Shan people and even have older relatives shade them from the sun with beautifully made umbrellas.

He said: “When I took the pictures, I felt so engaged with the festival because of the traditional music. During the procession it’s not only the boy and relatives that participate in this festival but all the people in the local community participate.

“When the parade procession goes around the city, people on the way will offer food and drink to people in the parade. This left a good impression with me.” He added.

On the final day of the festival the boys after living like royalty are brought back to reality and ask permission of a monk to be ordained as a novice.

The sequinned outfits and make up are removed and replaced by humble robes worn by monks for centuries.