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Festival

Wai-sa Phraya Mang Rai
To commemorate the founder of Chiang Rai, and to pay homage to Phraya Mang Rai, this festival is held by the end of January or early February, normally at the main fairground of the city.

Tea-Tasting and Cherry Blossoms
Tourists flock to Doi Mae Salong in Mae Fa Luang to admire the cherry trees which have burst into full bloom, covering the whole mountains with their pink floral blankets from early or the end of January, depending on the cold weather. This coincides with the tea-tasting festival. During the festival, there are tea-making demonstrations, a display of the tea growing process, a tea-queen beauty pageant, as well as performances by Doi Mae Salong's hilltribes.

Wawi Tea-Tasting
Doi Wawi in Mae Suai is one of Thailand 's biggest tea-growing areas. This celebration held at the end of January or early February is very similar to that on Doi Mae Salong.

Strawberry Fair
Strawberry is one of Chiang Rai's cash crops. A major growing area is Mae Sai. In the cold season around early February when strawberries and other temperate fruits are plentiful, planters hold a festival to show off their produce.

Songkran and Chiang Saen Regatta
Like in most northern provinces , Songkran (traditional Thai New Year celebration in 13 th April) is the most important event of the year. The biggest fair, however, is held in Chiang Saen, with the procession of Phra Chao Lan-Thong Buddha Image. Several kinds of entertainment and performances are organized for the occasion, particularly a boat-race challenge among teams from Thailand , Laos and Myanmar . There is also a beauty contest to crown the �Queen of the Golden Triangle�.

Pla-Buek Hunt
�Pla-buek� (pangasianodon gigas, commonly known as giant Mekong catfish) is the biggest fresh-water fish in the world. It can only be found in the Mekong River . Chiang Rai is the only place where the fish can be possibly caught from around mid-April to the end of May. During this time, a special fair is thus held to encourage people to experience the various tastes of fish from the Mekong , while enjoying the demonstrations of fishing rituals and artificial insemination of the big fish.

The venue is normally held by the riverbanks of Ban Hat Khrai, in Amphoe Chiang Khong.

Chiang Rai Lychee Fair
Around May, a big agricultural fair is organized at the main city fairground to display Chiang Rai's annual agricultural yields and produce, such as lychees, nanglae pineapples (which is actually available all year round), as well as other agricultural products.

Blooming Bua-Tong Festival
November is the time of tiny yellow wild sunflowers locally called �bua-tong�. They cover vast areas on Doi Hua Mae Kham along the Thai-Myanmar borders in Mae Fa Luang. The tiny blooms turn the entire mountain range into a golden heaven amidst loitering white fog, making it magnificent view.