Three thousand bright lights for you! I witnessed the real-life version of "Heaven Official's Blessing".

In the joyful music, Countless sky lanterns slowly rose from the surrounding crowd and floated across the water that reflected them. The blooming fireworks and the sky lanterns complement each other, and these sky lanterns eventually merge into an arched "Milky Way". The "Milky Way" extends infinitely into the deep night sky until it disappears into the deep space (Live Picture 8). I had been looking forward to the Chiang Mai Sky Lantern Festival for four years! I finally witnessed that moment in person, it was so shocking! Tips for Chiang Mai Sky Lantern Festival in Thailand: time: The Sky Lantern Festival is held every year on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month. But there are celebrations on the 15th and 16th days of the lunar calendar. The 2024 Sky Lantern Festival will be on November 15 and 16 of the Gregorian calendar (if you can’t make it this year, you can wait until next year). Venue A: The oldest official venue (Figures 2 4 7 13 15) is located in a temple called Lanna Dhutanka. Because it is close to Maejo University, it is often called the "Maejo University Venue". This is the only venue where you can take photos of sky lanterns reflected on the water. There is a huge square pool on the south side of the venue. It’s best to grab a spot in advance (tickets are also required). The VIP seats are in the middle of the venue and no reflections can be taken. It is recommended to go on the 15th, when there will be more people and the sky lanterns will be more spectacular (this venue is more quaint, but there will also be fireworks). Venue B: The largest one is the CAD venue (Figures 3 5 6 8 9...). The full name of the event is Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival, and the venue is called CAD Cultural Center, on a farm in a valley east of Chiang Mai. There were a lot of people on the 15th and 16th of October in the lunar calendar. Because it is a new venue, the atmosphere is more lively and modern. There will also be a buffet dinner before the event. Tickets: I went to two venues on two different nights last year and bought the tickets in advance on a domestic e-commerce platform. You can ask the merchant any questions online. The merchant will give detailed answers, including where to pick up and how to exchange for paper tickets. The official venue is 1,200 and the CAD venue is 870. This is the price I paid when I bought the ticket, for your reference. Entry: You can fly directly to Chiang Mai International Airport. You can also go to Bangkok or Phuket first and then transfer there. Thailand now exempts Chinese citizens from visas. But remember that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Try to book your return flight and hotel in advance before you go, as customs may check your order.