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NAKHON SAWAN, Thailand, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Colored lights decorated dragon swam among crowds in a shrine, a young woman in goddess costume offered incenses to the moon... This is the unique way that people in Nakhon Sawan of Thailand celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on Thursday night.
Nakhon Sawan, which is over 200 km north of the capital Bangkok, is a province famous for its dragon dance culture as it is home to many people of Chinese descent.
The local dragon team decorated their dragons with colored lights, which make the dragon showed in the Chao Por Chao Mae Na Pha Shrine shrine brilliantly, especially when it went indoors.
The traditional style shrine itself is decorated with purple lights.
"We added fashionable lights here to combine with the traditional rituals, which make this year's celebration quite special." Said Thanakom Jongjira, governor of the Nakhon Sawan province.
In the meantime, 16-year old Tassayaporn Wongsaksirikul dressed like Guanyin, an East Asian bodhisattva or known as the "Goddess of Mercy", made her debut and offered incenses to the goddess statue and to the moon, which is a custom followed by many Thais of Chinese descent during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Tassayaporn was selected to play Guanyin during the festival and also in the coming Spring Festival earlier 2017 by a local cultural committee.
Only well-behaved local women who are under 20 years old can attend the contest, while 20 women, from 16 to 20, attended it this year.
According to Meng, a member of the committee, Selecting a young woman to play Guanyin is a local custom that has been passed down through generations.
"People used to arrange someone's daughter to be Guanyin before, but since the local community gets bigger and bigger, there has to be a contest to make it fair for all." Men said.
These actives attracted many people to join in the celebration and take pictures and selfies with the dragon and the Guanyin.
"I feel a sense of belonging here, as I came to the celebration of this kind since a young age," said Nitiruj Jittichaiyawong, " I am proud of my hometown as these traditions have been passed down through generations and I want our children and grandchildren to keep them as well."
