The whole event is called Bun Luang, and the great highlight of this unique festival is a long, colourful parade of young men who dance and strike poses while wearing huge masks made from carved coconut-tree trunks, topped with wicker work and sticky-rice steamers. These represent ghosts and as they parade they carry a sacred Buddha image. It is thought that the festival originated as a form of spirit worship with music and dancing to appease the spirits who protect the local villages and ensure plenty of rain for the upcoming harvest season.
On the second day of the festival, the villagers gather at the temple of Wat Ponchai to listen to the thirteen sermons of Prince Vessandorn being recited by local monks.