The Cold Festival

Cold Festival, Chiang Dao, Northern Thailand, 2009.

The Cold festival

Chiang Dao, Thailand, January 2009. In a small village within the Golden Triangle, “The Cold Festival” lasts five days. Although situated in the middle of the countryside, two days from Bangkok and 70 km from the nearest city, these dancers catch the eyes of all the locals in a highly-charged atmosphere. As if bewitched, they dance with incredible energy. And they love to dance, are proud, and delightedly mischievous. Don’t forget that in Chiang Dao, The Cold Festival had been suspended for the past five years, due to a fight between drunken military which had ended in gunshots, resulting in one death amongst the public from a stray bullet. Play with girls, not guns !