The red banners are already hanging across many major streets entering Sakon City, announcing the annual "Chinese Dragon, Lion and Cobra Festival" held each year on December 11. It's one of my favorite festivals in this city,
unfortunately it's also Thailand's best kept secret. In 12 years of residing in this town I have not seen it listed in any travel brochure.
Google it: "Sakon Nakhon Dragon Festival," or Sakon Nakhon Chinese festival.
You'll find two entries and a video by Tom of isaan-live and a few posts by me, nothing else. Preparations for the event are already underway with nightly practices at the Chinese temple, as in this 2008 video
The beating of the sticks is to scare away cobras ?? In past years I've watched many of the neighborhood kids practice with the sticks. It does take a bit of practice, it can be quite painful During the festival there are three nights of entertainment and art exhibits at the Chinese temple I strongly recommend seeing the shows, they are an experience of a lifetime. If you are sensitive to noise I recommend earplugs or cotton, it does get noisy at times. Parade participants stay overnight at the temple on the night before the parade for face painting and other preparations. Participants receive free meals furnished by temple parishioners for all practice evenings and the overnight sleepover
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