Great Balls of Fire
To the people of the Mekong, the naga is very much alive
Every year, around the full moon in October, something spectacular happens in the lower Mekong River. Hundreds of red, pink and orange fireballs rise from the river in the northeastern Thai province of Nong Khai that lies right next to Laos.
It’s a sight that draws thousands of visitors to the Wan Awk Pansa festival that celebrates these amazing fireballs, which the locals believe are spewed by the naga – a mythical serpent that lives in the Mekong.
The lower Mekong region is the land of the naga. Visit any Buddhist temple in Laos or Thailand, and chances are you’ll find a statue of a naga guarding its entrance. The locals regard the naga as the guardian of the river, and many are convinced that the naga release fireballs during the Wan Awk Pansa (which coincides with the last day of the Buddhist Lent) as a mark of respect to the Lord Buddha.
